


Two's Better Than One

by PlaguedParadox



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fusion, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-09-18
Updated: 2017-09-18
Packaged: 2018-12-31 06:38:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 29
Words: 26,539
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12126699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PlaguedParadox/pseuds/PlaguedParadox
Summary: One moment our heroine is fine, the next? She has a voice in her head, her looks have changed. The voice apparently belongs to Sherlock Holmes and somehow they've fused and now he's stuck in her head.Now it's up to the pair of them to locate several others who have met the same fate and undo the process so those from Sherlock's world can go home before the universe falls apart.





	1. Prologue

It was a simple winter’s day. Frost and condensation lined all the windows in the street and the cool, crisp breeze swept through the area calmly. To anyone else it would've been relaxing, all people had to do was sit back, enjoy the feeling of the fireplace and cups of hot drink while hoping the weather would bless them with snow so that they’d have a white winter. To anyone else, that would've been appropriate. To anyone else, that would’ve been enough.

Not her though, not the town freak as her peers called her. Now the girl, simply referred to as Rose, was ordinary looking, in her opinion anyway. From medium length dark blonde hair, dull blue eyes, medium build. The only things that were out of the ordinary were her short height and large assets, to put it nicely. There was nothing appearance wise that people could label ‘freak’, it was more for how she acted.

Today for example. She was too busy preparing for the worst of the weather, not she wasn’t insane or anything of the sort, she was just paranoid and if she didn’t do anything to make sure she was prepared, she’d get too anxious to function. She ran around the room, trying to everything together as winter set further and further in. She would of prepared months ago if it wasn’t for the fact she was on holiday, a holiday forced by her best friend. Said best friend was sitting gingerly to the side, watching their friend run circles around herself to make up for lost time.

Rose came pacing to a stop after a while, too tired to function properly. She waddled over to her sofa and collapsed onto it, letting the blanket that was hanging on the back of it fall onto her. With a frustrated sigh, she buried her head into the armrest. “I’ll never get this done on time…” She turned so she was lying on her back. Her dark blonde unkempt hair cascading over the edge of the sofa. She had been busy for almost a week and it was starting to slow her down. A sudden feeling of sickness overcame her as she rushed to the bathroom with her friend tailing her. She hung her head over the sink, but nothing came out. She waited for a bit as her friend rubbed her back, a worried look hung on their face. “I’m… fine? I’m fine… I probably just need to eat.” Rose shook her head and left for the kitchen.

She prepared some toast, hoping that it would be enough until she went and got some more shopping. She was definitely a wreck. She heard her friend bid her goodbye and then heard the door shut. She was alone but she was used to it. Plus her friend probably left to try and buy some medicine for her. She shook her head and munched on a piece of toast. Suddenly the feeling of tiredness called for her to sleep, she took her previous place on the sofa. It only took a matter of seconds before sleep had hold over her.


	2. His Voice

Rose didn’t know how long it had last been since she left her flat, she was worried people would think of her as someone different. She certainly couldn’t recognise herself in the mirror. Needless to say, she was scared. Her dark blonde hair was even darker and seemed to be a shade of brown, her hair was trying to curl and one of her eyes has seemingly turned green. Now, these weren’t really what worried her. What really worried her was the voice that accompanied these changes, his voice.

 _“You’ve stopped breathing again.”_ His baritone voice rung out in her head, he sounded bored, he always did. She took a deep breath, she had indeed stopped breathing again. He had been a thing for a small while, a week at most. She remembered when she first heard his voice.

_It was a typical day for our main character. Get up, have a shower, get dressed in comfy clothes, grab something to eat and then brush her teeth and hair to finish it off. However, when she got to the second to last step, she stopped to look in the mirror. Her eyes widened as she stared at the stranger in the reflection._

“Don’t scream. I know this seems strange but don’t scream.” _A voice rang out, she looked around in a panic to see where the voice came from but she saw nothing that indicated an unexpected visitor._ “If you’re not careful you might black out, calm down!” _The voice rang out again. She tried to remain calm as she reflected back on how the voice sounded. The voice had a clear English accent to it, it was baritone in nature and sounded quite intellectual and it was strangely relaxing._ “Care to stop thinking about my voice?” _And now the voice was irritated._ “Stop stating the obvious.” _Oh, how she’d hit the voice if it was a real person._

_“I’ve gone insane…” Her voice was weak as she spoke out. Her thoughts flew by as she tried to think of reasons as to why she’d suddenly start hearing voices now, at the age of 23. 'Surely if it was a pre-existing condition it would have manifested itself sooner.' She thought as she continued to stare at what was meant to be a reflection of herself._

“I can guarantee that you are far from insane.” _His voice still sounded irritated but there seemed to be a hint of empathy behind it, no matter how small._ “I’m confused about this situation just as much as you are, I assure you. I’m Sh- Will. Call me Will.” _Will spoke out, trying to reassure the girl._ “What’s your name?” _He asked, figuring it would be easier to say actual names than trying to describe what she now was to him._

_“Um… people call me Rose. Or freak… it depends on who you talk to really…” She replied, not believing that this was a situation she was currently in. She felt a tall presence loom behind her but the mirror showed nothing but her. She felt as if she could see Will frowning, clearly not liking the name that people have given her._

“Well, Rose looks like we’re going be in this situation for a while. Also, you’ve stopped breathing.” _His voice sounded sad as if what she felt earlier was correct. She took a deep breath and tried to continue her morning routine, subconsciously enjoying the commentary from her new mental companion._

It took a little bit for her to get used to Will’s commentary on her boring life. He kept her in line with her habit of not breathing every now and again. Turns out he could also control her body sometimes, much to her displeasure. He tended to take over when she blacked out from panicking. He sighed and continued to try and convince her to leave the flat. It wasn’t helping either of them saying still, that and he was itching to do some work. It took longer than he had hoped but he managed to get to move.

Rose decided she needed to change into some more suitable clothes for outside her nose crinkled at the fact that most of her clothes were dirty. The only things that seemed clean were all formal, probably due to the fact she hardly wore formal clothing as she hardly had the need to. She really needed to stop being so lazy when it came to more normal things, like laundry. She grabbed a purple shirt that was a bit too tight, as was evident by her struggle to button up the top set of buttons that tried to encase her assets. After a few minutes and gaining sore fingers, she decided to leave the tricky buttons undone. Luckily the rest of her formal clothes did fit. Some formal black trousers and black faux leather shoes that needed some polish. 

She wished she had a coat which matched this style of clothing. Luckily she did have a button-up jumper, it was grey and soft to the touch. Will didn't have much to say about these events. It was almost as if he had turned away to give her some privacy. She threw on the jumper and a darker grey flat cap. She gazed into her mirror that stood near the foot of her single bed. In her eyes, she looked odd. She gave herself a swift nod and made her way towards her front door. 

She seemed to walk for ages and without a thought, she had let Will walk for her as it was his idea to leave. She had noticed people stop to look at her, but they didn't call out names like they usually did. Recalling the memories of her peers' previous acts seemingly made Will grow cold, she realised pretty quickly that people weren't all that kind to him as well but she didn't pry, she had a feeling he would tell her about himself when he was ready. When she looked around to get a grip on where she was in the large city she had noticed he had brought her to the front of New Scotland Yard. _Why here?_  She thought to herself and, of course, Will.

"Work. You need money, don't you? I figured this would be a good place to try to look." Will muttered. _Work? I don't even have a CV with me! I doubt I'm even qualified for a job!_ She began to grow anxious as she stood still, she could tell people were beginning to get suspicious.  "Most of the Yard isn't qualified! You're smarter than them, you'll get the job. Impress them with skill, not certificates." Will tried to cheer her on. He wanted to work, and he wanted to help her with her social insecurities. _You sound as if you know personally what they're like._ If she could narrow her eyes at him in suspicion, she would. Before she could think anything else, her body walked towards the entrance. 


	3. Homicide Department's New Genius

Rose wished she could throttle Will for forcing her to do this. She felt sick as her feet manoeuvred their way through the building as if they had walked the halls plenty of times before. Will seemed to be looking for someone but grew confused at the unfamiliar faces, he didn't let the confusion show on her face, however. He needed her to look confident if this was going to work. 

They both grew concerned when no one stopped them, the officers were either running around like headless chickens or had their noses glued to computer screens.  _"A murder?"_  Will questioned. Rose wracked her brain for any news of murders, she remembered something.  _There's been word of a serial killer for the past month. Been striking the lonely or surly alcoholics that won't do anything with their lives. It was in the paper this morning, remember?_  Will hummed in reply. He continued to make her walk towards the office at the end of the large room. 

She checked the handle to find it unlocked, it signalled to Will to make her walk in. A man sat with his head touching his desk, he looked as if he was trying to pull out his hair in frustration. Will noted how it wasn't the man he was looking for but he still hoped his idea worked.

Rose glanced down at the nameplate on the frustrated man's desk. Jared Kienes. She cleared her throat and watched as the man jumped in shock. Guess he didn't expect to be disrupted. Both she and Will took the man's shock as a chance to examine him. He had short hair, which was seemingly dyed to prevent people seeing that he was greying. From looks alone, she guessed he was in his mid to late 40's. He wasn't married as he lacked a wedding band and he seemed to be quite the flirty man, as he immediately went to a half smile after the shock faded. Will grew more confident in his plan.

"Jared Kienes, 48, detective inspector for the homicide department but that's obvious considering where we are. Never been married, no wedding ring and no tan line or indentation to suggest that you ever had one. You care about how you're perceived by women, you don't want them to think you're growing older so you dye your hair to stop people realising you're going grey. As your facial expression changed from shock to a flirty half smile that can only suggest you're keen on impressing women, most likely young women that are deemed attractive. You had coffee this morning as evident by the coffee stain on the end of your tie, you've been habitually going to the vending machine and snacking on crisps, as evident by the crisp crumbs on your lapel and shirt collar, also by the fact you have exact change for the next time you go to the vending machine already laid out on your desk. How did I know it was crisps? Well, a simple look at your bin by your desk would tell anyone that you're constantly eating the things. You're frustrated not just with the ongoing serial killer case but also the fact the receptionist won't give you a chance, as evident by the fact your phone is open to show her rejecting another one of your advances. You're in need for a detective that will not only advance the case further than what you've been stuck at for a few weeks but to solve this case but all the other cases you been having problems with for the past year. Am I wrong? Also look someone in the eyes when they talk to you." Will had done all the talking. He made her hands do various gestures that went along with what he was saying, but near the end, he had pulled the ends of their jumper closer together. 

Mr Kienes was more than shocked, to say the least. He nervously brushed off the crumbs that indeed were on his collar and lapel. "A-And you would be?" He stuttered out, he clambered to tidy up the messy desk. 

"Rose... Rose Holmes, sir." Will continued to be the one to answer.  _That's not my name!_ Rose complained but all Will did was shush her. "So do you need a detective? Because there's one standing here that's waiting to work." Will made her give a confident smile. She'd thank him later, he knew that for sure. They watched as the detective inspector nodded, still stunned at what came out of the girl's mouth. 

"Yes! Yes, we are. We'll need to get some paperwork sorted and that could take a while but when can you start?" Jared grew more controlled with his words as he spoke more and more.

"Straight away, I look forward to working with Scotland Yard. I just hope your officers are of more use than they seem to be currently." Rose finally spoke out, not that anyone would be able to tell the difference. She glanced behind her at the chaos that was the rest of the department. She didn't know why she was playing along but she deemed the idea of playing detective to be fun. She hoped that both her's and Will's usefulness will prevent them being fired if they ever got caught for using a fake name. She held out her hand for Mr Kienes to shake.

He took her hand and shook it. "Looks like the homicide department has a new genius on board! Let's hope that with you on around that we can close this case." Rose gave him a nod before moving her hand away. "Um..." He started before he gave a quick "Oh!" and started collecting some manila files and then giving them to her. "Everything you need to know about the case if you have any questions don't hesitate to ask." His flirtatiousness shone through the fact professional tone he spoke in. She gave him a weak and uncomfortable smile before turning on her heel and leaving the building as soon as she could. 

 _"Well, he was a creep. And that was easier than anticipated. You'd think he would have shown some restraint... Guess your looks helped out in that department. But now, we should focus on the case at hand. Let's head back to the flat before someone asks us why someone who's seemingly unemployed just left Scotland Yard with a stack of files."_  Will spoke in a rushed tone. His voice was less bored and spoke to her more as if they were friends. Rose power-walked her way back home. She had a feeling she wasn't going to get any sleep for a while.


	4. Exhaustion and a Friend

Rose was exhausted by midnight that night, Will wouldn't let her sleep, apparently, it wasn't important. To her it was. She adored chances to sleep in, as her sleeping patterns weren't regular like other people. She tried to focus on the words in the file in front of her but her exhaustion was causing her eyes to blur. She let out a frustrated sigh and slumped down her chair. Her exhausted moping was interrupted by someone knocking rapidly on her door.  

She groaned and marched towards the front door. She knew of only one person who could be awake at that time of night. She swung the door open to reveal her best friend in, strangely enough, a light beige cardigan. "Bun... What... What happened to you?" She asked, almost forgetting the situation she was in.

"What happened to me? What happened to you?! Your hair, your eye!" Bun exclaimed, rethinking the severity of their situation. Clearly, something similar had happened to both friends. "Are you going cosplaying or something?" But not that Bun saw that. 

 _"She's an idiot."_ Will spoke up.  _"Either that or she's just really oblivious to the fact you don't have enough money for regular grocery trips let alone contacts."_  And he was as annoying as ever, in Rose's opinion at least. _She's just avoiding bad scenarios. You get used to it._

The room grew quiet as Rose forgot to reply to her friend. Noticing the now awkward silence, she lead the more hyperactive friend into the kitchen and started to prepare some drinks, unsure of what drinks to make she just went for the default of hot chocolate. It's not like Bun minded. Will was quiet, which surprisingly irritated the small woman. _Don't deduce her._ She silently pleaded the man in her head, to which he responded with a bored grunt. 

 _This is going to be a nightmare to explain._ She lamented mainly to herself.

Bun's almost constant smile slowly grew awkward and their eyes started to look around the room. They quickly raised their eyebrow at all the paperwork that covered one end of the table they were sitting at. "You've got a job?" They asked in their normal tone but something seemed off, and even they cringed a little after speaking. That sounded like she was trying to be English. And not her usual kind of trying, it seemed natural.

 _"She's American, why such a natural English accent...? Ask."_ Will demanded but Rose shushed him.

"Um yeah... I have... I'm a detective. Helping the homicide department solve crimes and all that..." She responded to her friend's question with an awkward smile. A spark of recognition shone through the taller friend's eyes. 

Almost sprinting, the taller friend made their way to the piles of paperwork. They took note of all they scribbling that was on the paper, courtesy of Will. "A bit like a consulting detective then? Oh, by the way, who's Will?" If Rose didn't know better, it would seem as if Bun was accusing her of having a secret boyfriend. They then began mumbling something to themselves. _Consulting detective? Odd job description..._ Will hummed in response, seemingly wanting to chime in with something but stayed quiet. But he picked up on a name that Bun had whispered. John. 

"Oh, Will's someone I work with now... Who's John? Don't tell me you're-" She cut off what she was saying because of the stern look her friend was giving her. 

 _"Consulting detective... where did she come up with that? That's what I called what I did... John... She might be in contact with a friend of mine! His name is John Watson! ASK!"_  The baritone voice demanded once more. "Is his last name Watson? A man by that name is a friend of Will's..." Rose's voice trailed off after she saw the sadness that racked through her friend's eyes. It took her only a few seconds before she threw her arms around her friend and gave them a tight hug. "You don't need to tell me... just don't cry! Hm... care to help me with my current case? I need a new perspective on it." She asked with a kind smile that was natural for her but not for the new friend in her head, however, Will seemed to quickly warm up to it. 

"Is his last name Watson? A man by that name is a friend of Will's..." Rose's voice trailed off after she saw the sadness that racked through her friend's eyes. It took her only a few seconds before she threw her arms around her friend and gave them a tight hug. "You don't need to tell me... just don't cry! Hm... care to help me with my current case? I need a new perspective on it." She asked with a kind smile that was natural for her but not for the new friend in her head, however, Will seemed to quickly warm up to it. 

Bun gave her a quick nod and started to read through the papers on the table. Rose left to collect the rest of the papers and also to collect her thoughts.

 _John Watson... You've thought about him before, haven't you? The name seemed familiar. I understand he's a friend but who is he?_ Will stayed silent. _Why did you choose Holmes as our fake last name? Is it a part of your name? That would make it Willi-_

 _"SHUT UP!!!"_ Will's voice screamed at her, her eyes became overwhelmed with tears as she collapsed and held her head in pain. She could faintly hear her friend rush in and call out for her but it didn't take long before it faded into nothing as she began to black out.  _"Don't...! I'm sorry...! Rose-"_ She heard Will call out as well but his voice was cut off as she lost consciousness.

_The area around the girl was like a palace. It was light in colour, almost as if it was painted in a light cream but any accents to the paint were done in gold. She looked down at the floor to find it a well-polished wood. There was a highly detailed rug at the centre of the room but she was just at the entrance. The room she was in lead to many different rooms and to stairs which would clearly lead to more rooms. The walls were decorated with paintings of a family, two adults and two young boys. One a good amount older than the other. The parent's of the boys were smiling genuinely, the eldest had a fake smile and the youngest had a sullen look to him._

_She wanted to move closer to the painting so she could see more detail but she couldn't bring herself to move as the faint smell of tobacco ash and old books and the sound of a violin playing kept her in place. The music being produced was grand like the room but sad like the child in the portrait. Perhaps that's who is playing, she thought. Well, she thought that she was thinking but it seemed to echo in the room slightly as if she had said it._

_This experience confused her greatly but she didn't let it get to her. She looked down at herself to find out she was wearing a ballgown, and in her peripheral vision, her hair was back to normal, before Will. The idea of him leaving her upset her somewhat, as much as he irritated her, she did grow to like his company._

_The tone of the room shifted as she thought of her bizarre friend. He had freaked out as she was about to call him William Holmes. Did he not like the name? She didn't want to upset him, she was just curious. It wasn't long before she noticed the sounds of the violin had stopped and sounds of footsteps had begun. They grew closer to her but she couldn't bring herself to hide or run, it was almost as if her feet were glued into place._

_A baritone voice cleared their throat, catching the girl's attention and bringing her eyes to focus on the top of one of the stairways. A tall handsome man stood there, his blue eyes gazed back at her, almost scolding her but at the same time they held concern. He had dark brown curls and waves that she for some reason wanted to run her hand through, just to see if they were as soft as they looked._

_He made his way down the stairs gracefully, his suit seemingly never crinkling as he walked. His long legs and fast pace meant it was only a moment before he was in front of the girl. He opened and closed his mouth several times as if he didn't know what to say. The man had plenty of things he wanted to say, he had many emotions he wanted to express but as he looked at her his mouth grew quiet. If his friend would have been there, the friend would have joked saying how enjoyable the newfound quiet version of the man was._

_His gaze went to the girl, she seemed familiar to him but the idea of who she was kept escaping him. All he knew was that he cared deeply for her for some strange reason, and he felt guilty for something he had done but couldn't recall. The violin he had put down previously has started to play on its own, much to his annoyance. He grabbed the unknown female's arm gently and pulled her into a side room, a ballroom._

_They quickly took the positions of waltz dancers and began to dance. Though neither knew why they didn't ask. They were comfortable. Their bodies grew closer as they began to feel closer. They enjoyed their time together, and it seemed as if they would dance forever. But all good things must come to an end._

_The room around them shook as they embraced each other in shock. They glanced at the other, worry and fear clear in their eyes and then a darkness grew in a circle around the girl and started to swallow her up, the man tried to rescue her but it was in vain. His dance partner, a girl he wanted to say so much to, was completely devoured by the darkness and then it dissipated, leaving him alone in the crumbling room that left him feeling far more lonely than before._


	5. Will in Control

A gasp sounded throughout the messy bedroom of the new detective. Rose shot up, sweating and panting due to the aftermath of the weird dream. "What the..." Her voice rang out. Her arms wrapped around her as she shivered, the window she had always left open as causing some problems as the weather grew colder. The old bed groaned as its owner stood up from it. Rose had forgotten about the man inside her head as she started to undress.

Will yelped as he realized what was happening which caused the girl to stop unbuttoning the shirt she had fallen sleep in.  _"I didn't realize you were awake!"_  He said, his voice showing his shock clearly. Will had spent most of the time during Rose's sleep thinking of things to say to her, but right now he had forgotten everything due to the shock. If he wasn't awake before he certainly was now. He wasn't shocked at seeing the female anatomy, he was rather disinterested in both female and male anatomy but something about seeing her naked made him feel weird, he just dubbed it discomfort due to the lack of a better word. 

A moment later Will made sure to pay close to no attention as Rose finished undressing and walked to the en-suite bathroom. Rose rushed through her typical washing routine and got dressed so Will would be able to pay attention again. 

Both members of the body felt odd while they walked into the front room where the girl's best friend slept as if they were being watched. Will was on full alert and he hated it. He hated that he felt as if had to be on full alert. He recognised the feeling of Rose stepping back so he took full control. The male consciousness was now in full control and on full alert, which meant he had to do something.

It took a small while but the stubborn man made sure that no one would be leaving or entering the flat without Rose or him knowing. Now here he was, sitting in Rose's seat with her best friend staring him down. He wouldn't of minded it normally but something about the stare down reminded him of the times his own best friend stared him down.

The typically energetic friend was very careful in their movements as if trying to avoid spooking a wild animal. "So... um... why did you barricade the flat?" Bun had gestured to the fact that the windows had pieces of furniture in front of them as to block someone coming through them. They knew Rose to be overly cautious but to barricade the flat was just bizarre for her. "I don't mean to sound rude but... it's a bit odd, even for you." There the friend goes reminding Will of his own friend. His dear blogger. 

Being reminded so often of his friend made him realise he had to go home at some point. As much as he disliked the idea, he had to leave Rose at some point. He had to go back to his world. He couldn't stay a part of Rose forever, not that he minded if he was. He would happily admit that he cared for her, it would be odd if he didn't. He thought back to their visit to the Yard. He had determined that he was in a different world due to the lack of evidence of Lestrade, Donovan or Anderson existing, that and there were no stories in the paper of his disappearance. He was a famous detective, the media would be all over it if he suddenly vanished, as much as he hated that fact.

"Oh, there's been word of people breaking into flats via the window so I decided to prepare." He tried so hard to sound like her, he knew it was a poor attempt but he hoped Bun wouldn't notice. The male consciousness made the girl's body look up at her best to find them staring back with a raised eyebrow and crossed arms. _What more could I say? That cats were roaming in and this body is allergic to cats so we had to take appropriate measures?! That would be an obvious lie!_ He argued with himself, the female consciousness either not noticing his slowly raising panic or she was having their equivalent of a nap. 

Bun had found it rather suspicious that they hadn't heard a thing about the rumour of burglars considering the pair of friends only lived a few buildings away from each other. They also were curious about the fact that the small female mentioned a certain name. Their eyes narrowed at the small female who's face reflected a hint of panic. "Are you okay Sh-" They quickly cut what they were saying off and seemingly cursed quietly after starting to call Rose by another name. "You look a bit unwell." They mentioned, the nature and mannerisms of a certain doctor taking full force. They watched as a spark of recognition flew through the heterochromic eyes of the person opposite them.

With a smirk, Will decided to reply. "Hello, John."


	6. Bun Watson - The Confused Fusion

Today was certainly an odd day for this bizarre fusion of two people. They went from feeling like they're alone in their situation to find that both of their best friends were caught in the exact same situation, though they felt as if they should have worked it out a lot sooner. The male consciousness cursed that he didn't notice his friends quirks. He had known Sherlock for years so how couldn't he just tell that it was him. 

John felt silly but he didn't complain further as he discussed with his friend what had been happening in the recent past. 

He wasn't really sure how they both got into this position, all John could remember was following Sherlock on a case about a possibly mad scientist and as they were confronting the man at his lab one of his machines malfunctioned and the next thing he knew he was waking up in a completely different body. It was only until recently that he showed himself to his host. The currently ex-doctor only stayed quiet because he didn't know what to say, but he quickly grew used to the situation as he watched his host, Bun as they liked to be called, interact with the world and worry about their friend. 

Turns out, they worried about their friend a lot more than the good doctor worried about Sherlock, and upon hearing her thoughts as to why he understood.

Rose was a loner by choice, only letting a few people in because of her anxiety. Despite her young age she acted far too mature and it bugged John to no end, he just wanted to hold her and never let go. But he wouldn't do that currently because that would mean hugging someone else too, and he didn't know if he could handle that. 

Speaking of Rose, she was still currently letting Sherlock take control as he began to explain the true reason for the barricade to his dear blogger. The feeling of being watched loomed over the pair and it was clear to John that it aggravated his sociopathic friend, it affected him to the point that he stormed off around the flat making sure each window was covered and unable to be opened from the outside without force. 

"Why are you so protective of her?" He thought aloud to himself, he didn't realise Sherlock heard it until he saw the previously taller man freeze on the spot. 

Sherlock made the head of his beloved host sink in thought. _Wasn't it obvious?_ He thought to himself. She was HIS host. His beloved host. _I want to keep her safe. I want to..._ He cut his thoughts off as he spoke. "She's currently me, her safety is my safety is all. Plus your safety is also in question currently if we're being watched." He lied through his teeth but not that John would know that, Sherlock was used to lying to people through his disguises and this wasn't really any different from that.  

John made Bun's head tilt to the side, not used to the control he currently had, unlike his friend who obviously was used to the situation of control. "Any idea of how to get home? That malfunctioned machine sent us here, didn't it? Couldn't a new fixed version of it send us back?" Watson asked, not seeing the tears slowly well up in his friend's eyes as Rose's back was facing him. 

Sadness and heartache filled Sherlock's heart, remembering the fact he had to leave. He didn't know if the feelings were all his own or were influenced and added on to by Rose's own emotions. "I vaguely remember what the machine looked like but the science behind it, well... no idea... but you might be on to something. If something happened by mistake, in theory, it can happen on purpose too." His voice was cold as he struggled to keep it from cracking. He hated how emotional he was being. 

Silence filled the room as Sherlock began to hear Rose murmur apologies to him for making him cry. Oh, how he wanted to hold her.  _"I'm sorry..."_ She said once more, her voice as soft as it had been since she started apologising to him. _Don't apologise... you did nothing wrong, this is just another thing to get used to._ Rose murmured an agreement before becoming quiet once more.

John cleared his throat as he headed to the kitchen. "I'll um... make something to eat, Rose must be hungry, Bun is." He explained as he opened the fridge, he glanced at the nearly empty machine, thankful for the lack of body parts but annoyed at the lack of food. "You know what... I'll just call for a takeaway. Pizza?" He suggested but all Sherlock did was hum in reply, wipe his eyes and the flop backwards onto Rose's favourite chair.


	7. Running into... Adler?

The detective was unsure about how long they had been there, clearly a while as Rose's muscles ached as she stretched. Sherlock had decided it was time to give her control again, she had more control over the expressed emotions than he probably ever would. It was her body after all. He didn't enjoy the idea of her being in control while the feeling of being watched was still so heavy but he also didn't enjoy the idea of crying every time John mentioned home.

Hours went by as the four of them discussed the case at hand, the more that was discussed the more worried the more caring fusion became. The killer went after lonely people, and Rose was alone most of the time by choice. She was a prime target. And as much as she figured it was a decent idea, Sherlock refused to allow her to act as bait. His excuse was different every time she brought it up. First, it was the fact she couldn't run as fast as he used to due to her height, then it was because she wasn't truly alone thanks to Bun so being bait might not work and then it went along the lines of 'Because I say so!' which irritated her to no end. She just wanted to help. 

Rose grew frustrated at the situation and Sherlock was being of little help, and neither had an outlet until Bun suggested they went to a cafe for some fresh air and some coffee. Something Rose practically jumped at the chance to do, needing a distraction from the case file which taunted the mashed together pair of detectives. John erred on the side of caution when deciding where the group was going to, he suggested the nearest cafe to the flat which was only just down the road from the building. 

Bun kept the conversation going as the pair walked, Rose and Sherlock constantly being distracted by the other pedestrians. John didn't know what they were doing but if he could take a guess, he'd say that Sherlock was teaching her how to deduce people. This kept up for most of the walk to the chosen cafe until the shorter of the two friends ended up walking into another body. Both parties making a sound of discomfort as they collided. 

The small female glanced up at the person she had just walked into to see a relatively tall male looking back at her with a raised eyebrow. Rose took in the male's appearance much to Sherlock's displeasure. The guy was a good head taller than her, he had slightly tanned skin which seemingly matched his warm hazel and brown eyes. His dark, almost black hair was styled in a way which kept his hair off of his face. Clothing-wise, he wore mainly black apart from the dark brown of his leather belt and the blood red of his tie. 

The male had a small smile playing on the side of his lips, a light blush dusted his cheeks. "Hello there. Sorry, I didn't mean to walk into you, I must really look at where I'm going." His accent was slightly northern and Sherlock noted how his words were very forced as if he thought them out carefully beforehand which made his apology seem less genuine. With a lift of his hand and his smile growing, he introduced himself. "Chris Adler! Once again, sorry for walking into you." 

 _"Adler, eh? I don't trust him, my dear... be careful."_  Sherlock left Rose to introduce herself. When Bun, influenced by John's politeness, invited Chris to have a drink with them at the cafe, the consulting detective had to force back anything he said and he was glad when Rose cautiously asked her friend if they were sure. Unfortunately for the detective duo, they were.

An hour they spent with him, an hour with Mr Adler, an hour Sherlock wished never happened. He could practically feel Rose swoon at whatever the man said, entranced by his voice, and it made the detective feel sick. Sherlock just wanted to drag Rose away and keep her at the flat with him, where it was safe. Where they could solve the case as the partners in solving crime they had so recently became. To say he hated this new man in Rose's life was an understatement. 

Rose wasn't one for being attracted to looks, she always felt the person was more important. And oddly enough, she could tell what a person was like from the first impression and was nearly never wrong. But there was something about the dark haired man that sat opposite to her, with his charming grin and the warmth that radiated off of him that just made her feel like blushing. 

But she could feel the hatred and discomfort that came from her mental companion, and it upset her but the pair refused to let it show. Show no weakness to strangers. She chanted her old chant to herself, something Sherlock hummed in approval about that, glad she was putting walls up in front of a man he was struggling to deduce. 

Lacking anything to deduce about the man was what made Sherlock uncomfortable in the first place but every word Adler said made it worse. He blamed it on Rose's anxiety which he noticed did bring his own anxiety out. The curly haired duo was quick to make their leave when they noticed a man matching the suspect description of the serial killer walk down an alleyway, and despite the fact they should have known better, they followed him. 

Oh, how they'd regret that move.


	8. It's a Trap!

The duo weaved through the alleyways easily enough thanks to Rose being shorter than most, they kept out of sight, practically clinging to the dirt and grime coated walls and bins as they followed the suspect. 

If it was one thing Rose hated, it was the alleyways. Small spaces weren't typically a problem for her but when they were filled with dust and muck, it made her feel as if she was in a horror movie, and the fact the sun was beginning to set wasn't ideal either. Sherlock kept his guard up to the point every time Rose stepped in a puddle it would alert him. 

Unfortunately, after around ten minutes of following the suspect, they must have taken a wrong turn and gotten lost. Rose avoided the alleyways as a general rule so she didn't know her way back to the cafe and Sherlock hadn't thought to remember the way being too preoccupied with trying to catch the suspect and solve Rose's first case. 

Upon realising that walking to see where they were going was only going to get them more lost, they decided to take the more easy route of action. Their jacket fell from their shoulders and Rose threw it into a corner where she could see most of the alleys entrances with ease. Slumping against the wall, Sherlock was grateful for the fact it was relatively dry thanks to the overhand on the roofs above.

All they had to do was call Bun and John and then wait for them.

With deep breaths, Rose was trying her best not to panic but it only grew when she patted her pockets and realised her phone was missing. She doubled checked and then proceeded to check her jacket pockets. Nothing. A gulp sounded out as she heard people nearby. 

One thing that was definitely different between the two detectives? Sherlock had fighting experience, Rose did not. That didn't mean she wasn't going to defend herself. She scrambled towards a pole that laid on the ground behind one of the many bins. There was a huge hope that it wasn't needed.

Today wasn't her lucky day, and both detectives quickly worked that out as people walked through each entrance. Another gulp escaped the female as she was forced to the centre and circled like she was a piece of meat. 

It wasn't just a coincidence that the suspect walked passed them as he was alongside with the circling crowd. The gang made no other move than blocking the duo's forms of escape, taunting grins on their faces as they practically laughed at the now shaking girl. It was like some sick game to them. From the distances emerged another figure, a figure to which some of the gang members dispersed to let this person of clear authority come closer. The only thing that really stood out to Rose about the man was that he was better dressed than the gang he seemed to control. 

"A banker... late 30's...Teenage son... He's not our guy... Protecting." Most of Sherlock's were lost on the frightened girl as she watched the man shoo away the gang and then stalk closer to her.  _Sherlock, I don't want to die..._  She thought to herself, whimpering upon not getting a reply from the voice that had such a calming effect on her. 

A cruel smirk warped the seemingly normal looking banker's face into something far more terrifying. The small detective continued to pace backwards, nearly tripping over after seeing the banker pull out a gun and aim it at her. Her heart practically stopped and her breath caught in her throat, she felt like she was going to be sick. 

Was there any escaping this?


	9. Protective is an Understatement

**BANG!**

The sound of the gun firing sent Sherlock into overdrive, he forced control away from Rose and made her leap away from the line of fire. He thanked his quick reactions but cursed at the fact they weren't quicker as he hissed in pain and held Rose's shoulder as the pain spread throughout. He bit back a scream of pain while bidding the female's body to stand up. 

Rose's hands still gripped onto the metal pole, despite the shaking and pain. The male consciousness glared up at the man that dare hurt his host, that dared to think he had the right to snuff out a life. Her life. A snarl escaped Rose's lips as Sherlock charged at the attacker. 

A scream of pain sounded out as the two collided, but it wasn't from the female. The banker screamed out as Sherlock slammed the pole into the side of the guy's head sending him sideways onto the cold floor. 

"How dare you think you can just take a life like that! And for what? To protect your criminal son? Someone who messed up their own life?!" Sherlock growled out as he held up the metal pole to strike again if he needed to. The pain in Rose's shoulder growing worse with the movement. The male detective reflected back on his deduction of the man and chuckled. "You're going away for so much more than attempted murder, and thank you for practically telling us who we're looking for." He chuckled slightly as he picked up a wallet that fell from the man's pocket as Sherlock hit him.

The banker tried to stand, holding his head as he did so but Sherlock slammed the pole down onto the man's back sending him back onto the floor. Sounds of a name being called in the distance caught Sherlock's attention, he glanced at the alley he thought the sounds were coming from. Concentrating was becoming increasingly difficult from the blood loss. The other injured man used this opportunity to rush down a different alleyway causing Sherlock to swear in frustration. 

Collapsing against a wall, Sherlock groaned in pain. Despite the pain, panic started to bubble up. Rose had been silent for that whole thing. She didn't even cry out at the fact they had gotten shot.  _Rose? Are you okay?_ He waited for a little bit to wait for a response. Nothing. _My dear?_ He was growing desperate to hear her voice. Was it because he forced control instead of waiting to be given control? Panic grew when that thought crossed his mind. 

The sounds of the calls grew louder and louder as they drew closer to the duo. Sherlock whimpered slightly as his eyes welled up with tears, his eyes starting to close as he began to fall unconscious. 

_Sherlock woke up in his mind palace with a start. It had been a little while since he ended up here. The last time was when he caused Rose to pass out. He sighed and slipped off of what seemed to be a bed. His eyebrows furrowed at that, his mind palace never really had furniture, well not furniture that he used as it was more decoration. Perhaps things were different thanks to Rose's influence? He wasn't sure. Glancing at the other side of the room, a room that was pretty bare apart from the bed and a nightstand. Somewhere from another room, he heard his violin play by itself. With a sigh he slipped out of the room and made his way to the staircase, he glanced down towards where the front door should be. His visitor from last time wasn't there._

_He continued to walk down the hallway to see a new room, his eyes narrowed at the sight. He wasn't aware of new rooms being made. Then again he wasn't in his mind palace as much as he used to. Without a second thought, he made his way into the room, it was more decorated than the room he was previously in. It was clearly trying to replicate Rose's room but in a way that matched the style of the palace. Sherlock chuckled to himself as he looked around, not noticing the bump on the bed. Most of the furniture was basic and seemed to come from Ikea and while it looked like there was an attempt to clean up, there was some laundry, books and pencils on the floor._

_What caught his attention was a familiar ballgown. The one his visitor wore. His heart fluttered when he saw it. "She's here after all?" His voice barely came out in a whisper but the sound still disturbed the person sleeping on the bed. A groan came from the bed and it caused Sherlock to jump slightly in shock. He was so caught up in the fact the room looked like Rose's he didn't notice he wasn't alone in it._

_The other member in the room shifted onto their front before lifting herself off of the mattress which seemed to beg her to come back to sleep. The girl looked around and was startled to see a picture of herself as the fusion and her best friend on the room's nightstand. Her fingers grazed the picture lightly. Confused about why it was there. Was this meant to be her room? She glanced around the room again to only end up yelping when she saw the man from the previous time here._

_"Don’t scream. I know this seems strange but don’t scream." His baritone voice sounded out, reciting such a familiar phrase. The curly haired man proceeded to make his way over to the bed and sat gently on the corner so he didn't alarm the girl. He glanced over at the ballgown once again. "You're a wonderful dance partner." He stated, unsure exactly of what to say like last time but brave enough to at least say something to the girl._

_Said girl shifted so she sat closer to him, a blush growing on her pale cheeks. She wasn't used to people complimenting her, especially people so attractive. The blonde haired girl lifted up her hand to his cheek and gently began brushing at it with her thumb, smiling slightly despite the shocked look of the tall man. Sherlock could feel a blush growing on his own cheeks as he placed a hand over hers and gave her a small smile of his own._

_He glanced at the bags under her eyes and pulled her into his arms. "Let's sleep..." He murmured as he felt exhaustion wash over him. With a simple move, he was laying on the bed, the girl still in his arms as they both drifted off to sleep. Neither was able to notice the darkness take the girl away again._


	10. Hospital and Home

The area around the unconscious duo was thick with the smell of sterilisation and the horrid sensation that only hospitals could bring someone. Even in an unconscious state, it was clear to outsiders that the body did not enjoy being where they were. Not too far away from the unconscious and injured duo was their friends, worried and wet from the downpour that started shortly before Rose and Sherlock were found. 

Bun never wanted to see their friend like that again. 

It was shortly after Rose and Sherlock sprinted off that John suggested to follow the detectives and they agreed. They quickly made an excuse to get away from Adler who had lost all interest in conversation almost as soon as Rose left so he didn't really care when Bun had to leave. The duo walked down the alleyway cautiously, clearly, the first pair left for a serious reason, that much John was sure of. They had been walking around in seemed to be circles for a while until they heard a gunshot. 

John, already in panic mode, made Bun's body run towards the direction of the loud noise. They frantically called for both Rose and Sherlock, not knowing which one was in control. They weren't sure what to expect when they reached the detectives but they weren't expecting what they saw. Blood coating the ground, Rose's jacket thrown in a random corner and the actual Rose herself slumped against a wall, unconscious, bleeding from the shoulder with a metal pole that was dented with a little blood on the end. 

Both of them wanted to throw up but knew that wasn't going to help their dying friend. 

Now here they were, in a hospital, listening to a doctor rattle on about how he had to call the police in because of the fact their friend was attacked. John just wanted him to shut up, he would have patched Rose up himself if he just had the equipment so listening to a doctor which was practically an intern lecture him while his friends were lying unconscious in a hospital bed nearby was not helping his mood. 

A pained groan caught the attention of the fusion and the rambling doctor that finally shut up. Bun glanced over to see Rose trying to sit up. "Ah! No, no, no! You are staying lying down missy!" Bun exclaimed as they rushed over and gently pushed the injured girl back down onto the bed. "What the hell happened?" They asked, their voice just about breaking as tears filled their eyes.

The smallest person in the room, Rose, groaned again and looked over at her shoulder before she looked up at her best friend's face. "I got shot? All I remember is that I followed a guy that matched the suspect description, got lost, got ambushed and then ended up in a fight with some guy... I don't really remember much after that." Her eyebrows furrowed in thought but when she couldn't figure out why she didn't remember she shook her head in frustration. 

 _Sherlock, what happened?_ She figured if she didn't know, he might of.  _"We were shot, I took over and fought back. I... you wouldn't answer me..."_ That dammed baritone voice she had grown attached to sounded so sad and she absolutely hated it. _You wouldn't answer me. I was worried we were about to be killed!_ Despite it wasn't a good time to have an internal squabble, she wanted to discuss what happened.  _"I'm sorry..."_ His voice was so quiet she barely heard him. The presence she felt when they first talked was back, but she felt as if it was wrapped around her, strangely it comforted her this time instead of alarming her. 

The pair didn't care how much time passed by as the doctors, nurses and police officers checked in on Rose. They just wanted to leave and go home. And they never felt happier when they stumbled into the old flat, Bun following close behind. Sherlock sighed and pulled Rose to her chair to sit down. He had zoned out almost instantly, he was more focused on figuring out why he was acting so emotional all of a sudden so he didn't partially listen when John mentioned that they ordered for some shopping to be delivered. 

Sherlock thought back to the dream, he knew that the girl was probably Rose but he didn't know if she worked out who he was and he wanted to use that to his advantage. Get to know her in ways he probably couldn't if she knew who he was. And getting to know Rose was something he'd been meaning to do for a while.


	11. Killer of Loneliness

Midnight. Definitely not a time for normal people to be awake, but then again, Rose wasn't normal. 

What she was going to do was risky but it's something that could work that she had to take the chance. Luckily, in her time of dealing with Sherlock, she worked out how to not alert him to the fact that she was awake. She was just that quiet she guessed. 

A light fog coated the area and the cold air made it feel as if she was a few steps away from entering Silent Hill but that didn't stop her. She had to do this, and since the banker made it obvious he didn't want people looking into his family, that's exactly what she did. The information she found wasn't anything groundbreaking but it was helpful. Like his address. 

Fortunately for her short legs, his place was fairly nearby, only a twenty-minute walk from her flat. If she were to confess something, it's that she didn't plan this out at all. She had no idea was expecting and she was still pretty doped up on painkillers but she wanted to do something. 

With a sigh, she scales up the tall building to reach the balcony that belongs to the banker and his son. As she leaned against the wall just beside the balcony doors she only froze for a moment because she felt Sherlock starting to wake up. However, relief swept through her when he went back to sleep. 

If you told Rose at any point in her life if she'd be breaking into a possible serial killer's house, she'd call you crazy. But here she was, picking the lock of the balcony doors to a possible serial killer's home. 

Once the door unlocked she quietly but quickly made her way inside, she listened out for any breathing but heard nothing. _Perhaps he was out?_  She thought to herself. Rushing around she looked through everything she could that could be used as evidence and placed each item in a zip-lock bag and then placed them in a backpack she brought with her. She thought she was doing pretty great until she heard the click of a gun behind her head.

"One wrong move and I blow your brains out, girly." The man behind her then proceeded to grab her by her hair and slammed her into a wall. That woke Sherlock up.

Rose quickly allowed him to take control as the suspect stared them down. Waiting for the girl in front of him to mess up so he could kill her. "Jeffrey Collins, 19, a former student now a serial killer. You kill people because they remind you of yourself, you're constantly alone and have nothing going for you in life so far. How do I know that? Well this is a family home yet there are no pictures, now that could suggest that you move around too frequently to get attached but some of the furniture has clearly been here for a long time which is evident by the indentations in the carpet when you lift them up, with your name carved in. You grew up in this flat with your mother and father until your mother died, it's a bit obvious seeing as she disappears from photos in your photo album after you reach the ages of I'd say 5." Sherlock took a deep breath, still a bit out of it of just waking up but he took in all the necessary information that Rose told him. "After your mother died your father stopped showing in photos also, but he's alive, this would suggest that in his grief of losing your mother he abandoned you, but he still cares for you. Proved that by trying to kill me. Now, about the education, you either dropped out of high school when you were about 14 or you were taken out, possibly to do apprenticeships so you could start earning money at an earlier age, you have a uniform but no pictures of you in it after that age but you do have money stashed away and work equipment in your room. As well as your weapon of choice, a saw blade-" He was interrupted

Jeffrey's eyes teared up at the mention of his mother but quickly grew harsh the more Sherlock spoke to the point he had heard enough. "SHUT UP! Give me one reason I shouldn't just kill you right now! You already know I'm the killer, so why should I let you live?!" He snarled out, Sherlock would have pitied him if he wasn't... well, himself. Sherlock made a quick glance towards the opening front door and gave a small smile.

"Inspector Kienes, how wonderful to see you, glad you got my text. You heard this man's confession." In anger and in shock Jeffery quickly turned towards the inspector to shoot him, only to end up being tased. Sherlock made his way around Collins towards the DI and threw Rose's backpack towards one of the officers behind him. "Appropriate evidence is in there, there should be some more around, got caught before I could collect it all." The formerly tall detective tried making his way out of there when DI Kienes stopped him.

The two detectives stared at each other for a little bit as Kienes gathered his thoughts. "How did you know?" Kienes asked genuinely confused, they had nothing pointing towards someone so young, and the description of the suspect matched someone completely different so Sherlock could understand his confusion.

With a sigh the sociopath thought about his answer, he had worked out the father was protecting his son because if he was protecting his daughter he would have made more of a show. That and the fact a photo of the man's son fell out of his pocket as he was aiming the gun at them. "I didn't until his father tried killing me to protect him." Sherlock just replied as if Rose would and continued to walk back to the flat. 

It was a rather normal walk until Sherlock collapsed to his knees. Rose took over and groaned in pain, holding herself in what seemed to be a hug, her eyes widened as a sensation of a foul metallic liquid filled her mouth. She was quick to cough it out.

Suddenly the normal walk was a frantic rush back to the safety of Rose's flat.


	12. Time Alone and Getting to Know Her

Silence. That's the only thing Rose could hear, or rather not hear as she entered her flat. The area had been cleaned to a certain level, clearly, the other fusion had woken up and got bored but then proceeded to leave for their own home. With a sigh, she slowly made her way to her room. She didn't know if it was because of what happened earlier but she felt drained. A huff left her lips as she flopped back onto the bed.

It wasn't the first time in her life she felt drained but it was worse this time. 

The silence followed into the messy bedroom. The more talkative consciousness was silent, Rose assumed it was from the shock of coughing up blood but with him, she could never really be sure. She glanced over at the nightstand where she placed her more precious items. A sad sigh slipped from her as she glanced at the picture frame which laid on its front as to hide the image. She didn't need to look at it to know what it was. It was of her and her family. Family was something she adored, and she more than adored her's, it just hurt to look at their faces when they were so far away. Her mother and stepfather were in Scotland, enjoying the peace and quiet of being away from the city. Her brother and father moved to America for different reasons. Her older brother decided to retry his hand at catering and managed to gain a job in the industry near Los Angeles while her father travelled fairly often as a lorry driver, that man couldn't bring himself to stop working.

Soon the silence was replaced with the sound of crying. The picture was taken the day she moved away from home into the big city of London, she didn't realise that would spur the others to move away too. She was alone by choice, but it was only when they moved away that she felt lonely. Initially, she felt as if Bun had only moved to England to keep her company, while it was a reason, it wasn't the reason which did cheer her up. 

Sobs left her body until the calm call of sleep lulled her into the abyss that was unconsciousness. 

_Connecting with people had always been a problem for Rose when she was younger, she faced countless bullies and backstabbers that ruined her trust so when she found genuine people it was a relief. Whether the handsome man in front of her was genuine or not remained to be seen. Granted it would be a lot easier if he was actually awake. Yet here he was, in what was meant to be her bed, snoring quietly to himself._

_His dark curls were so tempting and looked like silk in the lighting. It made her urge to run her hands through his hair worse but she didn't want to wake him. He looked so peaceful. The only thing that bugged her about the situation was that he was slightly see-through as if he was just an echo of what was previously there the last time they had laid eyes on each other._

_Rose still was unsure as to why they were meeting constantly but she saw no reason as to complain. Why would she? She may have been odd by most people's standards but she was still a woman who felt both a romantic and sexual attraction. And, despite not wanting to sound shallow, this man was very good looking. His looks actually reminded her of a celebrity she used to like back when she was a teen, falling hopelessly for fictional characters who would never be able to return the affection._

_Was that what this was? Her imagination playing up and causing her to become attracted to the mysterious stranger with a familiar face and voice?_

_Suddenly the area began to warp slightly, the lack of knowledge caused her to want to run and hide but she stayed put. Her body had a slight jolt of surprise when she looked back at the handsome stranger only to realise he had disappeared. "U-um... what?" Her voice squeaked out. "Disappearing bodies, that's a new one..." She tried to calm her nerves but her heart continued to race. Why did her body never listen to her?_

_The sound of rushing footsteps filled the air, drawing nearer and nearer with each passing second. Was it the now reappeared stranger? Or someone else? Rose was unsure if she wanted to know but her curiosity got the better of her. She shifted herself off of the bed and made her way to the door, the stranger's voice seemed to call out for her, but never really saying her name. She wondered what her name would sound like leaving his lips as she stepped out into the hallway, only to come face to face with her handsome mystery man as they collided._

_There had only been a few times in her life where she laid on the floor, she certainly didn't expect she'd end up laying on it once again especially with the dark-haired stranger on top of her. A blush coated her typically rosy cheeks as not-so-innocent thoughts filled her mind._

_Sherlock groaned and lifted himself up to glance at his visitor. He was still unsure of her name but due to her complexion, he decided to call her his English Rose. He was pretty much sure that she was his darling host but, as much as he hated to admit it, even he was wrong at times. The tall male glanced down at the small female under him, blushing madly, and for some odd reason he couldn't help but feel happy as he watched._

_Rose had really messed with his opinions of sentiment._

_"I don't like being alone..." The girl blurted out and made it evident on her face that she didn't mean to say it. She glanced at the man on top of her, his facial expression seemed to encourage her to continue. "I'm terrified of it actually... it's worse when I don't have a choice in the matter... but it gets a lot worse when he acts as if he's not there..." Why did she mention him? She had no idea. She just felt as if she needed to talk. Rose didn't realise it until now but the fusion had changed her voice too, it sounded deeper and rougher but still feminine not that her normal voice was high pitched, it was rather ordinary in her opinion._

_Sherlock took in the information, his face falling when hearing about how being alone terrified her. "Why do you choose to be alone then? And who's this man you speak of? Sounds as if you're very attached to him." He wanted to hit himself for making such an awful pun and hoped she didn't notice._

_Rose blinked and tilted her head to the side slightly, contemplating on telling him before making her decision. "I choose to be alone so I don't get too attached to people that'll just end up hurting me... and that man... His name is Sherlock... and I've grown to adore him. Ugh... why am I telling you this? I don't even know who you are!" She exclaimed as she looked up at the handsome stranger._

_Sherlock felt a small blush coat his cheeks when he heard her confession. He cleared his throat and sat back onto his heels and held out a hand for her. Hesitantly the blonde haired beauty in front of him accepted and used his arm to pull herself up so she was sitting. She shifted so she could sit cross-legged. It wasn't long before Sherlock mimicked the position to save his heels from hurting. Damn shoes. "Um... I'm Scott. Scott..." He took a moment to go through all the names he knew before stopping at one that somewhat went with his new name, good thing for multiple names. "Lestrade. Scott Lestrade. What's your name?" He asked, a gentle smile on his face. Time to confirm his suspicions._

_"Rose... Rose Ellis. Nice to meet you, Scott!" She replied a welcoming smile plastered all over her face. 'Scott's' face lit up as he was proved correct. And now he finally knew what his darling host looked like before he became a part of her. From her English Rose complexion to her blue-grey eyes which seemed to shine no matter how the light hit them to her dark blonde hair. She was like a fictional character but she was so real. He could already tell that his mind palace was adapting certain details with this new information._

_They talked back and forth endlessly. They grew closer and closer with each passing moment, failing to notice the darkness that slowly surrounded them. "So this Sherlock... Do you love him?" 'Scott' enquired, he wasn't sure if he wanted to know the answer but he couldn't help but ask._

_"Well, I-" Rose cut herself off as she noticed the darkness creep closer. She crawled away from the darkness that began to grab at her, only for her to crash once more into her seemingly new friend. "Why does this happen?" She asked, mainly to herself as she watched as the darkness drew closer still._

_"I do believe this is you waking up." His face fell as he mentioned she was unconscious, remembering her comment on the fact she never remembered her dreams. Sherlock wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. "It's okay..." He murmured into her shoulder as the darkness engulfed them._


	13. Coffee Lunch with Chris

Screams of two people filled the flat due to Rose waking up with her best friend's face looking at hers. The screams were soon followed by Bun's laughter. "What the shit, Bun?!" Rose huffed out, trying to collect her breath from screaming so much, she knew her throat was going to hurt later. 

 _"Ugh... must you be so loud?"_ Sherlock groaned as the taller fusion continued to laugh, tears running down their face.

Another huff left the shorter of the two as she rose from her bed and proceeded to storm out of the flat. The events from last night almost entirely forgotten. 

The streets were lined with growing puddles due to the morning rain that filled the air. Petrichor calmed the detective fusion and let them contemplate over what happened the night before.  _What was that...? "I'm not entirely sure, I've never had hemoptysis before... You're not suffering from tuberculosis, you don't have any autoimmune conditions as far as I can tell... You don't use blood thinners or crack cocaine... I highly doubt it's a pulmonary embolism or pneumonia so... it could leave trauma..."_  Sherlock let out a sigh of frustration, he was a chemist and a detective, not a doctor. Ask him how to tell different perfumes or types of tobacco apart and he'll be able to help, ask him to solve a murder and he'll do it with ease but diagnosing someone? That would be better left to John. 

Trauma. The idea floated around in Sherlock's mind palace since the time he mentioned it, he was sure it had been hours since he said it. It was definitely the most possible. They had been shot, nearly bled out and got slammed into a wall with a decent amount of force. Rose's body wasn't used to that type of abuse while Sherlock's own body had been abused countless times before, usually by himself. 

The midday sun now shone through the parting clouds and on the lone fusion at the cafe they were at not too long ago. So much had happened that week that both members of the fusion's brain needed time to think to themselves. Sherlock in his mind palace and Rose was left in the more conscious world to think. The female was unsure if she could keep going on like this, her body wasn't made to take countless damage. No body was. So why did Sherlock act as if the pain they received was nothing? It bothered her. 

A loud cough broke Rose out of her thoughts, she turned to complain to the person that now sat near her only to find it was Chris. She read the mood and figured he'd been trying to speak to her for a few minutes now. "O-Oh, hello Mr Adler. Have you been there long?" She asked, cursing at the fact she sounded nervous.

Chris shook his head with a slight chuckle. "No, I just got here, you looked pretty zoned out though. You alright, my sweet?" He enquired, his lips curling in a rather large but kind smile. "I heard from your friend that you were in the hospital recently, what happened? And please, call me Chris." A tan hand crept over to her pale one, one that had been wrapped around a coffee mug, and took it in a soft grasp, fingers brushing gently against her skin. Heat slowly began to pour into her naturally red cheeks. 

"Oh, I was attacked... shot actually but I'm on a decent amount of painkillers so I'm not suffering. And I was zoned out because I was reflecting on something..." Her eyes flickered down to her hand in his as she rambled. She thought she stopped her mindless rambled as a kid, guess some things never change. Rose noticed Chris's kind smile shift into a rather flirtatious one when her gaze shifted back up to his face. 

A sigh left his lips. Gently, he lifted up Rose's hand to his lips, allowing the two to brush past each other. This action caused a shiver to run down the girl's spine, a reaction that resulting in the male lifting an eyebrow. "Well I'm glad you're not in pain, I'd hate to see such a pretty little thing like that." False worry coated in flattery, she didn't partially enjoy his tone but yet again did his lips brush pass her fingers. Rose's blush intensified. 

Somewhere inside her head, a growl sounded out but she ignored it. "Y-you think I'm pretty?" She stuttered out only to receive a nod as a response. Chris excused himself for a moment, only to come back with some chocolate and blueberry muffins.

"Sorry, I figured we could both use something to eat!" A nervous chuckle left his lift and he placed a hand on his stomach and whined quietly to himself. "I hope you don't mind!" His lips curled into a seemingly apologetic smile as he offered a muffin to her.

Accepting the muffin, she shook her head. "I don't mind, you actually picked two of my favourites!" A genuine chuckled sounded out from both of them. 

Only 15 minutes went by until all the muffins had been polished off, both parties of the sweet lunch satisfied with their meal. 

"Thank you." Two voices sounded out, then both speakers proceeded to apologise after looking away. Blush seemed to coat both their cheeks.

"U-Um... thank you for the meal." Rose's voice sounded out.

"Thanks for the company!" Chris exclaimed, a smile never leaving his face. The way his eyes seemed to shine in different ways depending on his emotions pulled Rose in, eyes were the first thing she always spent her attention on and his were amazing in her opinion. The man sitting opposite her checked his phone, his smile falling and his eyes seemed to grow darker as if the brown in them swallowed up any shades of green that were there.  A frustrated sigh left him as he stood up. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm being called away. Perhaps we could do this again another time?" His smile returned to his face as he held up a business card to her for her to take. 

After she took the piece of card Adler bid his goodbyes and left. Rose glanced down at the item in her hand. It was nothing special, one side had a black background, red detailing with white text. She read over the white writing and noticed it was odd despite the normal appearance.

** Chris Adler - Needs Specialist **

_Needs specialist? What's that...?_ Rose flipped over the piece of card to reveal a white background, the red details continuing. Things seemed more normal on this side. Chris's basic contact info was there - his business number and email as well as where his apparent place of work was. The bottom of the sheet was supposed to be blank but Chris had filled it in with his own personal number. Rose zoning out slightly allowed her finger to trace the neat cursive that her new friend possessed. 

The girl returned to her flat after drinking one last coffee, her time with the mysterious Needs Specialist that was Chris Adler floating around her mind as she walked. As she walked through her front door her mind made a detour to the equally mysterious but possibly illusory Scott Lestrade. The last name sounded familiar and as Sherlock was lost in his own thoughts she'd ask John if he'd heard of the man. 

Rose found the other fusion hanging around the kitchen, a hot drink of their own in one hand and their phone in another. Chuckling slightly at the casualness of it all Rose crept up behind the taller figure and then said something very simple.

"Boo!"

A scream filled the flat for the second time that day.


	14. Texts and Case Incoming

Laughter quickly died down as the skies began to darken. The weather had once again begun to turn. The previously pleasant and gentle rain and the sunshine were replaced with harsh rain and dark clouds. Rose's favourite weather was storms, learning about what causes lightning actually sparked her love for science. Sherlock kept as quiet as possible, which bugged Rose to no end. They were friends, or so she thought. _"Please stop thinking about me, it's distracting."_ His baritone voice sounded out, lacking emotion just like their first conversation, and it hurt Rose. She was happy that he was being open with her. The girl hoped that it was just for a small period of time and not a permanent change to his tone.

The tall fusion bid goodbye as the rain became too heavy to comfortably walk down the street. Rose, feeling rather lonely decided to look through her phone just to see if anything interesting was on it. She didn't really use the phone unless she was bored or it was an emergency. Her family were the kind to not talk for ages but still be really close, and she was grateful for that dynamic considering her new job. 

As she looked at her phone, the wallpaper of a spray-painted smile caught her attention, she couldn't remember what show it was from but it was something one of her college friends had shown her as they waffled on about a show they considered brilliant. Her memory had been blurred slightly after Sherlock showed up and it confused her immensely but she didn't mention it. Sherlock always was one to mention the more important things and hated when the obvious or boring things were brought to light. 

Rose glanced at her notifications to see several game notifications and apparently, a text which shocked the girl slightly, being someone of few friends texts were rare, especially now that Bun lived nearby and not in America. The petite girl quickly opened her phone to notice that she had, in fact, received several texts from a few different numbers. One was a message from her provider about some special deal which made her roll her eyes, another she guessed was from the DI which she would check later and the third was a really unknown number.

**Hello there,**

**You're probably wondering who I am, I'm sure a certain someone already knows. You may not listen to this because of him but please...**

**Get him home. Get him and his goldfish of a friend home, everything depends on you doing that.**

**Don't let me down.**

**\- MH**

Rose reread the message several times. She was no idiots and was pretty well-read when it came to mystery novels so if she was to guess, she'd say that the mystery man texting her was Sherlock's brother. However, a headache washed over her as she tried to scroll through her memories to see whatever else she could guess about the man. A groan left her lips as she plopped down on her bed rather gracelessly. 

Sherlock was still silent but Rose could tell that he was more than annoyed, probably because of his brother. 

The now headache ridden girl decided to check the other text that wasn't essentially spam and her guess was correct.

It was Kienes.

 **Hey there Holmes! It's DI Kienes so save my number.**  

Rose proceeded to do so and gave him the contact name 'DI Dumbass' hoping Sherlock would at least get a chuckle out of it, only she received no reaction. Rose quickly went back to reading the text. 

**Um, I need you to come in, I have another case for you. It's an odd one.**

**Simple breakdown... um... Well, there's a guy, probably a scientist considering his coat but he seems to of been drained. You'll see when you get here.**   
**Glad you're okay btw! I heard about what happened by the officers who visited the hospital.**

With a sigh, the girl quickly made her way to her bathroom's medicine cabinet. As she was born female she always made sure she had painkillers just in case mother nature decided to pay her a certain monthly visit. After taking a few pills she threw on her jacket ready to leave for the Yard. She had a nagging feeling that she was going to have to deal with this case solo. 

Damn stubborn detective.


	15. Rose's Sister?!

Cabs were a luxury as the rain grew harsher and harsher within minutes of the small detective leaving the building she lived in though the small time in the rain seemed to make her already wild curls go out of control as they both clung to her face and sprung out ready for the wind to catch and throw them about. The cab journey was short and the driver wasn't all that talkative apart from the friendly small talk. They actually seemed relieved to have a quiet passenger.

Rose quickly paid the driver before rushing over to the building where she now worked even if she worked from home. Luckily she memorised the route to the homicide department so she didn't need to ask for directions. Things were quieter now the serial killer was dealt with, people were actually sitting at their desks. A few greeted their new coworker as she walked by them but most stayed silent as they stared. Rose quickly headed over to Jared's office. 

The man looked more casual compared to when she had first met him, though she was just glad he wasn't trying to be flirtatious. Sherlock hummed slightly in approval of that fact before losing himself in his mind palace once again. 

The curly haired female was really beginning to feel sorry for John, especially after the kind doctor explained to her that he lived with Sherlock back in their world. 

As time went by the DI explained the general details and then walked the girl down to where the pathologist was so they could give her some of their insight. The walk was shorter than she would have liked as she was alone in this situation, she could practically feel her anxiety consume her. 

The DI opened the door to the lab only to see a young girl in pigtails yelling at the pathologist for requesting the new detective to help out. The mentioned detective was blinking in surprise, not at the girl's behaviour, she had seen under 10's act worse but it was the fact she managed to get in without anyone being informed. 

"Um... What's going on?" Kienes asked innocently only to receive a harsh glare from the small child. 

The girl turned to look at the short woman who she had been previously yelling about. Her eyes, which seemed to be split between brown and blue much like how Rose's were split between blue and green, widened and she rushed forward in a convincing flurry of tears. "Big sister!" The girl cried out as she wrapped her arms around the woman's torso in a death grip. Oh how Rose wished the ground would split open and swallow her up. "Big sister! I missed you so much! That meanie pathologist had made you pick such a boring case! It's a waste of your talents!" The girl which Rose mentally dubbed Cindy cried out, tightening her grip on the woman who had lost a considerable amount of weight since being a fusion with the infuriating man named Sherlock Holmes. 

Rose had no idea what to do, she had never seen the girl in her life. "Um... Cindy, please let me go. I have work to do." Her voice was calm, almost as cold as Sherlock's had become, good thing she enjoyed acting. Gently she moved the girl aside and tried to walk over to the metal table which the victim laid on. But of course, children will be children and Cindy decided to grab her leg and yank it out from under her, sending the woman flying forward. 

As she fell forward her hands shot out grabbing whatever they could, in this case being the cloth which covered the victim's body after the autopsy. The light blue cloth slipped off of the body and fell onto the curly haired detective that now laid on the floor. 

The pathologist worked quickly to pick up the cloth and cover up the body while helping the fallen woman up while Kienes began to tell off the young guest who had no right, even if she was related to the new detective, to act the way she had. Rose gave a quick nod in agreement as she held her head, her headache back in full force, groaning slightly as she did so. She was going to have her own harsh words with the pigtail haired girl herself. 

The short detective quickly dusted herself off before walking over to the table so she could look at the top half of the corpse. This was when Sherlock finally decided to pay attention and when he noticed who was in front of him he practically froze in place.

It was the scientist from the incident which sent him to this world.


	16. Cold and Hurt

To say Sherlock's brain malfunctioned for a small moment was an understatement. He felt like his brain was a ship and it had just been nuked with life laughing at him. The one person who knew exactly how to recreate the machine needed to take him home was dead. Now he really did have to work it out himself.

The sight of what was meant to be the body was something he'd never expect to see, it looked like someone just stretched skin over a skeleton model. Rose gulped as she looked at the body, already feeling herself about to faint at the sight or was it the headache that was finally taking its toll. Either way, she collapsed. 

_Back in this place. Rose thought as she glanced around. She half expected Scott just to randomly show up with that knowing grin as he blushed all that slightly but no, the handsome man didn't show up. The girl was quick to leave the ballroom she had somehow woke up in, to find Scott on the top of the staircase playing the violin. Chilled skin and goosebumps plagued the blonde haired girl as the cold yet entrancing music filled the air._

_Rose grinned as she saw her new friend on top of the large staircase, playing wonderfully. She rushed over to him, wishing to see his kaleidoscope eyes that shifted between blues and greys and greens with the light and his emotions which she loved to watch. She had no idea why she was so attracted to him, especially since he probably wasn't real but alas, life and love were cruel to her. The one real-life man she was attracted to was nothing compared to the possibly entirely imaginary man that appeared every time she entered the unconscious world._

_Sherlock's eyes remained closed, he knew she was there. He wanted to address her but he had to hurt her. They had gotten far too close, he didn't want to do this to her, he felt sentiment towards her but he felt as if he had to hurt her now before he could hurt her by going home. His heart kept aching at that thought but he had to remain strong. Just pretend she isn't there. He thought to himself as he continued to play the violin that had a mind of its own when he wasn't around it. It was almost as if it was sentient._

_The tall man froze when he felt a small but warm hand shift away some of his wild curls that had previously fallen onto his forehead. He felt like a small blush warm his cheeks. With a small gulp, he backed away from the hand and stormed down the stairs and into one of the many hallways, hoping to lose his host in the complexity of the place. Though he didn't doubt her ability to tail him, she was small but she could certainly pick up speed when she wanted. He had controlled her body enough to know it's speed limits._

_He made a quick turn into a random room and laid his back against the door after he closed it behind him._

_Rose was shocked, to say the least, she thought back to their last talk to see if she had said anything that could have hurt him. Did he know that I wasn't sure of his existence? She flinched slightly as she thought that. Being questioned of your abilities hurt but being questioned of your existence, that must have been like mental torture. Or in Rose's opinion at least._

_She plopped down on the stairs in a huff, she wasn't one for confrontation and knew that if someone wanted time alone, it was probably best just to let them have it, as much as you didn't want them to deal with their problems alone. As the familiar darkness drew closer, all she did was glare at it. After finding out what it meant, she wasn't afraid. Being awake meant being able to speak to Sherlock, something she almost always looked forward to._

_When Rose came back to the waking world she found that she was on a small love seat that sat to the side of the DI's office. With a sigh she sat up, her headache had calmed down slightly since she collapsed but it was still present._

_The next hour was spent trying to speak to the other detective that was inside her head, each attempt brought either a rude response or no response and by the end of it, she just wanted to cry. The headache had gotten worse, she was frustrated and upset with Sherlock and she just wanted Kienes to stop sending random officers to check up on her. She appreciated the gesture but it got annoying very quickly, especially with the loud ones. The dark-haired girl was sure she sent most of them running out and crying with the rude comments that flew out of her mouth._

_Though it wasn't her. It was Sherlock. He had taken control every time someone walked in, tasking himself with giving the pair some time alone so he could try and make Rose hate him. And once she ended up storming out of the Yard and walking home he felt as if he was close. Now he just had to get a hold of 'Cindy' so he could discuss some things with his 'dear' brother._

_Going home was going to hurt him more than any bullet or drug, he just knew it._


	17. A Stalker?!

Numb. That's how he wished he could feel. He wanted to be numb for when he left so he didn't hesitate, so he didn't turn around and hold her when he got his body back. Truthfully the supposed sociopath just wanted to make the departure easy for the both of them. Being numb or apathetic would solve a lot of his current problems but he couldn't help but feel a twinge of heartbreak every time she called out to him, begging him for a response or some company. 

Thunder broke Sherlock out of his melancholic thoughts, he was currently in control as Rose had cried herself to sleep. Guilt wracked through the detective as he thought about the pain he was causing someone he obviously cared for. 

Rain poured down from the sky and onto the streets, buildings and the detective as he slowly walked down the pavement, there was no destination, he just wanted to walk, to remember the area that felt more like home than his actual home, to be with his beloved host a little longer. He had already found his brother in a child's body and they had already a plan in mind.

Sherlock only had a week with Rose until the plan would take action. 

A week until he tortured himself by leaving Rose's side to rejoin his own useless world. He really wanted to stay with her, get to know her in his own body, get to see her reactions for the first time. He wanted to teach her so much about being a detective and he knew she'd love the lessons because she always paid attention to him as he waffled on when they were going over their first case before John showed up. 

Rose made Sherlock feel like he was actually normal and that he could be normal with her. They both had odd quirks but they didn't really ever let that get in their way. No one said that because they were stuck together that they had to get along, they just did. _I know sentiment is a risky thing but..._

An unease filled the small body as the sensation of watching eyes appeared once again to haunt Sherlock. He was on full alert yet again to protect Rose's body with all his might though he did try to keep calm enough to properly survey the area. The road was relatively quiet as it was dark out and most didn't enjoy driving in the rain. Sherlock's gaze slowly drifted over to the corner of the road behind him to see someone peaking over the edge of a building. The detective's eyes narrowed as he started to walk closer to the person that was watching them. 

The stalker started to show obvious signs of panic which made Sherlock feel like smirking. _Yes, be afraid of the 5'1 woman._ He was very tempted to laugh but he needed to know who it was that was seemingly stalking Rose so he could put them away so they didn't bother her when he was gone.

She had already proven that she was capable of being a detective, at least he thought so. She easily worked out that one of the machines the scientist was working on had backfired and sucked the life out of him somehow. The machine was destroyed after the police found it. 

Back to the stalker situation, Sherlock had gotten pretty close to the suspicious person before they took off. The short body managed to tail the person all the way back to an apartment building that was far more luxurious than the buildings back on the initial road the stalker was on. 

Sherlock wouldn't admit his difficulties to anyone but he did have a hard time getting into the building that he would have liked. Fortunately, the whole 'I've been attacked, please let me in for safety!' shtick worked a lot better due to the female body. It was more of the constant watch of the security at the main door that gave Sherlock some difficulty, to the point he had to make a makeshift smokescreen just to sneak into the security room to view the cameras.

As annoying as the ordeal of getting to the room was, once he was there, he didn't experience any problems, especially when looking through the footage. The suspect, all dressed in black had rushed in with little to no resistance from the security which means they were probably used to it. The person entered the elevator and when the elevator doors they opened to reveal...

Mr Adler?!


	18. After Adler and a Rather Indecorous Situation

Growls left Rose's throat. He knew he couldn't trust the man and here he was, proven right as the man Rose had started to fall for had been stalking her. Oh, how furious he was. Mr Adler had been trying to make his showing up in their life seem natural even though it was obvious it was forced and now Sherlock knew why, Chris had been watching from a distance. 

Sherlock quickly followed the camera feed until it gave him Adler's door number before he snatched the correct keys off of the wall next to the desk. It was a rather idiotic move putting the keys to all the flats there but not everyone is a genius. Sherlock stormed off to the staircase, knowing that the elevator's power could be cut off easily. Adler lived on the fourth floor of the building in the 14th room of that floor, something that would have taken a lot less time in Sherlock's body as he had longer legs but not everyone had the same biology and therefore had genetic differences.

He was tall, she was short. There was actually a head's worth of difference. 

A sigh left their lips as Sherlock's mind wandered as he climbed the flights of stairs. He finally reached the fourth floor panting slightly, having weights on his chest made it more difficult to breathe but he wasn't going to complain. It wasn't his body. 

The detective took his time walking to the apartment to catch his breath also making several plans just in case Adler attacked them at all. Rose had already gone through too much pain for his liking, and Sherlock had already made it a lot worse, he wasn't going to let Adler add to that. 

Sherlock froze when he reached the front door to Adler's apartment as he heard muffled erotic moaning come from behind the door. That's when things clicked in his head.  _Irene..._  He thought as he quietly brought out the keys from Rose's jacket pocket, the same pocket that held some objects that he hoped he could teach Rose to use. He had started taking around rudimentary lock-picking tools a few days before he dragged Rose to the Yard initially. He didn't think he'd ever need to use them but it never hurts to be prepared. 

For such place that emanated luxury the locks were rather basic, even Rose's building had better locks than the place that had security guards and cameras. Sherlock chuckled to himself at the simplicity of it. 

When he opened the door he wanted to scream.  _This place is practically a sex dungeon!_  The term 'Needs Specialist' made a lot more sense to Sherlock now. After a few minutes of internal screaming and blocking out the obviously self-induced moans, Sherlock made his way around the room, avoiding going near the bedroom which the sounds were being emitted from. He did not want to see what was going on with Adler right now.

A shiver of disgust ran down Rose's spine as Sherlock gazed at Adler's various tools of the trade. He wasn't hopeless when it came to sexual activities so he knew or could easily guess how they were used, he mainly hoped that Rose didn't choose now of all times to wake up and get the wrong idea and considering that she probably hated him currently a misunderstanding would be easy. And while he did want her to hate him as much as possible, he wanted her to hate him for things he actually does, not for thinking he's something he's not. 

Twinges of worry and anger filled the male consciousness as his mind filled with all the disgusting things that Adler could have done to Rose if she wasn't as reserved as she was. Adler had already shown enough interest on their first meeting to be a red flag for the detective but now he knew it was someone fused with Irene, well he thought they better be glad he wasn't seeing red. 

The sounds that Sherlock desperately tried ignoring got louder but fortunately died off shortly after that. A quiet sigh of relief left the detective as he made his way over to the bedroom door. After taking a deep breath he pounded on the door with Rose's fist, hoping in some regards to making it sound masculine enough to shock the person inside. He deemed it a success as he heard a yelp and someone scramble around. 

Sherlock took a few steps back as the door begin to open to reveal a rather dishevelled Chris Adler. The dishevelled man gulped, a blush grew over his cheeks as he took in the person in front of him. "R-Rose? What are you doing here? How did you get in?" He asked as he turned his head towards the front door before looking at the female body. His eyes grew as he realised Irene's work equipment was left out in the open. "Oh my god, I am so sorry you didn't need to see that stuff!" He exclaimed as he rushed around to tidy up. 

"Irene." Sherlock made Rose's voice drop, the tone cold enough to make anyone seem as if the detective was using their voice. Adler froze on the spot before his eyes darkened and posture straightened.


	19. Chris Adler - The Seductive Fusion

A seductive grin worked its way onto Chris's lips as his body turned to face the rather bored looking detective. "Sherlock? Oh my now this is a surprise, and here's me thinking Chris had gained a crush on a rather ordinary girl." The seductress practically beamed as she saw the female body in front of Chris in a new light. "We should have dinner." Chris's voice purred out, the grin never leaving his lips. 

Sherlock huffed slightly and looked to the side before glaring at the Woman. "Not interested." His answer made the other member of his world pout for a moment before that grin came back. Chris's hand slowly rose and caressed Rose's cheek before dropping lower to the shirt buttons Rose never did up. Sherlock flinched slightly at the touches, not enjoying how Irene was regarding his beloved host's body. 

Oh, how Irene wanted to laugh at this situation, the heterochromatic eyed girl that Chris had fallen for was actually in a situation much like theirs. Someone extraordinary in an ordinary body with an ordinary consciousness to annoy them. That's how Irene felt anyway and as she wasn't a mind reader, she just assumed Sherlock saw things the same way. 

"Oh Sherlock, how I've missed you." Purrs left the male body once again, more caresses to Rose's cheek followed. Sherlock was half tempted to break Chris's hand so it wouldn't touch Rose again but he held himself back. Irene was trying to seduce him, to tempt him closer to her. But it wasn't going to work.

He already saw what her actual body had to offer and he just wasn't interested. 

"Fortunately, I haven't missed you. Tell your host to stop stalking mine, it'll stress her out and that will just make life difficult for me." Sherlock stayed stern and cold, turning away from the seductress and her attempts to get Rose's body in Chris's bed. "I'm not asking, by the way." He finished his harsh statement before walking towards the door. Just as he reached the door a hand shot out from behind him and closed it. Swiftly turning to look at the tenant of the apartment he noticed Chris's eyes were lighter in colour, showing that Irene had stepped back from her position of control or perhaps it was ripped from her, Sherlock bet on the latter as Chris's eyes were desperate. 

"Please, please don't let Rose know what I've done. I like her, truly! It's just that, with Irene's job... I don't want people assuming she's a client and bothering her about it. I've tried to stay away but I couldn't help myself..." His eyes filled with water worried his pleas would fall on deaf ears. But they didn't.

"I won't tell her, just stop stalking her. If she finds out, she will despise you for making her paranoia worse." The chill to Sherlock's tone never let up, his statement making Chris flinch in response. He forced the male body move back with a firm push, after making sure the male didn't fall over, he opened up the heavy wooden door and left slamming the door behind him as he went. 

The trek down the stairs was certainly easier than the trek up, and it was quicker as well. Something the detective was grateful for. 

Sherlock made quick work of getting past the security once again, placing the keys back in their original place before leaving the building altogether. The youngest Holmes brother was certainly glad for the strong glow that came from the streetlights as he walked slowly back to Rose's flat, lost in his thoughts about Rose and himself once more. Though it was dark, there was something that could catch people's attention as the light bounced off of it. 

The tears that ran down Rose's face.


	20. Heartache and Separation

The rest of the week quickly came and went, but it still came too slowly for Sherlock's liking. Feeling far more lonely at that current moment than before John entered his life. The doctor was not happy about the plan, and even less so when he found out what Sherlock had been doing to Rose. Irene was just glad to return to her body and Mycroft really didn't want to discuss his time as a fusion. Something to do with girly screeching over seemingly prepubescent boys with little to no talent and far too much glitter.

Sherlock would have laughed if his heart wasn't continuously breaking each minute that passed. It had been a while since Rose stopped talking to him or even bringing him up in conversation. Bun and John had adapted to this relatively easy as they were more than angry at the male detective. 

The male had also made sure to space out or get lost in his mind palace every time Rose was in control to avoid reacting to her in any way so it would add to her hatred of him but he wanted nothing more to apologise and comfort her. 

Just a few moments ago they managed to open a tear in reality that leads to their world and Lestrade had brought their bodies over, complaining when he had to pull Mycroft though due to the weight. In any normal circumstance, that would have made Sherlock laugh, but he was too caught up in his self-made heartbreak that he didn't care. 

Sherlock glanced up at the machines before him, made from the deceased scientist's blueprints which they'd take with them. One was the machine that tore through reality. The other was a large machine with eight pods, four on each side. It was a machine which would rip the consciousness of Sherlock, John, Irene and Mycroft from their hosts and place them back in their own bodies. 

Mycroft gave Sherlock only a week to find the scientist's labs and work out how to work the machines, being too lazy to do it himself that and it would be a bit weird seeing a 9-year-old walk into a lab unattended. 

The oldest Holmes brother was busy debriefing Lestrade on how to work the other machine as everyone else would be in the pods. Sherlock gazed at his body, a blank look on his face as he took in the features that Rose would gaze at when they were in his unconscious mind palace. What did she see in me? He thought glumly as he began to walk to the pod he was designated to. His body was the first on the right so he had to take the first on the left creating a parallel between the two sets of pods. 

The other's took their place, John was next to him, Irene was next to John and Mycroft took the last pod, being the last one to have his body dragged in. 

The pods' lids closed around them slowly, slowly to the point it made Sherlock anxious. _Would it be painful? Would it harm the hosts in any way? Was Rose going to survive this?_ Thoughts swam through Sherlock's head faster than he could picture the answers, it made him want to just jump out and run away. He didn't care if his world went to ruin, he could bring the other's to this world if he had to, he just didn't want Rose to die or be injured again. 

Once the pods were close, most of the other members of the party gulped. It was too late to turn back now as the machine whirred into life, a bright light growing at the top of each pod. Sherlock couldn't bring himself to look up, hugging Rose's body close to itself, his eyes scrunched together, tears finally free from her eyes and he cried silently to himself.  _I don't want to go! I don't want to leave her!_  Was all he could think before the bright light consumed the pod. 

Sherlock gasped as he doubled in pain, he was sure it felt worse than being shot but he couldn't confirm it as Rose's body dropped to its knees. One last tear escaped her eyes before the horrid darkness of unconsciousness swallowed Sherlock up.


	21. Heading Home

Sherlock groaned a light was shone in his eyes, he blinked in irritation at the harsh light on his sensitive eyes. The detective sat up and glared at the person who shone the light on him to only see John. The curly haired man's eyes quickly shot to the other side of the room to see a now brown-haired Chris with glasses trying to wake up a small dark blonde woman who was still heavily unconscious, tears staining her face. 

His heart broke at the sight, instantly recognising the woman as his darling Rose. 

With a sigh, the tall detective finally got to his feet. Sherlock surveyed the area to see that Mycroft and Irene had already left the lab, something he was glad about as he turned his attention to his Rose only now starting to wake up, her blue-grey eyes opening to look at the world, she'll be truly alone for the first time in a while. He just hoped she could manage, but from the glares from the 9-year-old, who was actually called Sydney but surprisingly didn't mind Rose calling her Cindy, and Bun he knew that his dear English Rose would be fine. 

Lestrade bid his goodbyes so he could let the other world know that Sherlock and his blogger had returned while John quickly introduced himself to Rose and then proceeded to check her over. 

Something Sherlock didn't expect to hurt his heart was the huge hug Rose gave his roommate shortly after he had finished examining her. Not being able to take the sight anymore he stormed through the portal leaving John alone with the former hosts.

John chuckled as he hugged the short woman back, he finally got his wish of being able to hug her. After a few minutes, Rose finally released the hug only to be bear hugged by her best friend after they noticed her tears. The kind doctor took a picture of the hosts as a memento, a keepsake so he could always remember not only the bizarre time he was stuck in another world but the two friends he made from it. 

His time with Bun had been really weird especially when he met Bun's male side and he learned that Bun was just a nickname that Rose liked as it stopped her from having to keep up with the changing name when either side of her friend showed up.

And then there was Rose, the poor paranoid girl that had to deal with a man like Sherlock living in her head. He was shocked to find out that they got along and immediately got suspicious when Rose started asking John how to tell if Sherlock hated her. He had quickly grown to see her as a little sister due to her shy nature, something Sherlock worked to combat even if it wasn't an active attempt. 

On the first meeting with her, he would of worried that being separated from Sherlock would bring her a disadvantage as a detective but now, after everything, he knew she was just as stubborn as Sherlock to make it work. If she needed to, she could be a handful for criminals and police alike he just knew it. 

He watched as Rose pick up little Sydney, who joked about how she wanted Rose to adopt her as a sister because of how cool she was due to her being smart enough to content with Sherlock, he had to agree with that one, she was certainly something to do that. Chris thanked the short doctor for separating him from the seductress as he despised her, with his nature being that he was rather shy himself and that he didn't like the attention on him. Bun gave John a huge hug after he announced that he had to leave otherwise Sherlock would do something silly like shoot up the living room walls in boredom or microwave mice as a part of an experiment. 

John Watson didn't realise how painful it would be to tear himself away from the group that grew on him so quickly as his heart broke to say goodbye while he backed into the portal, his eyes only leaving the group to turn into the portal that sent him home.

The portal crackled as it slammed itself shut, the machine finally breaking and disconnecting the worlds.

Things were back to normal once more.


	22. Without His Voice

Months and then years went by but the now famous detective, Rose Ellis couldn't get that aggravating man's voice out of her head. She swore she hated him for how he treated her but she couldn't bring herself to forget him. 

Rose kept up her job from her own merits, while not as brilliant as Sherlock Holmes she was still good at her job. DI Kienes accepted her change of looks pretty easy and so did most of the department. Her job certainly gave her an odd look at school reunions but she couldn't help but enjoy showing off when she said she knew and befriended some celebrities after they came to her with cases. 

She had remembered where the boys she grew attached to were from and binge-watched the show, mainly to see John's antics with the voice that was once in her head. She guessed that her knowledge of their world grew foggy because of her connection to Sherlock. 

Sherlock.

As much as Rose would like to say that she was happy he was gone so she could live her life without snarky commentary or general rude remarks, she couldn't. They were apart of him and she did grow to adore him.

Even with her best friends around she couldn't help but miss the detective that she owed her job to. Her friends definitely gained in number because of him.

She always had Bun helping her out while pursuing their own career as a makeup artist. Bun would go off to America every now and again to see if they could 'accidentally' bump into their favourite YouTubers but also for conventions that they went to when they were younger. Despite the time apart, but the dynamic between the two friends never changed. They really were like the Watson to her Sherlock, so it was quite fitting that they ended up with Sherlock and John in their heads. 

There was Sydney or Cindy as she adored to be called by her honorary big sister, double digits hit and already she quickly entered her emo phase, that was fun. She grew a habit of sneaking into places Rose was investigating and helped out a surprising amount.

John, well John would always be a near and dear friend despite that they were from different worlds.

And then there was Chris, the real Chris, not the 'Needs Specialist' Irene made him be, who was a sweetheart and a real whizz at IT, he even acted as a hacker for the small detective. Chris and Rose decided to date after several months of awkward flirting on Chris's end but the relationship was cut short when the nightmares kicked in.

The nightmares were nothing much at first, the typical things that would scare just about anyone but as time went on they got progressively worse. The damned things took place in a twisted version of the palace that used to calm her, a distorted and decaying version of Sherlock pleading with her either to kill him or save him in some and attacking her in others, berating her and saying how he never cared and that she was nothing but a pathetic waste of space to him. Each one always ended up with her waking up in a ball of tears. 

There were dreams but they were few and far between. 

Typically they started in a flat she recognised as 221B from the TV she grew to become a fan of. John sat in his chair, typing away on his laptop, a small smile always made a way to Rose's face at the sight. He was rather peaceful when he typed. And then there was him. Sherlock. Sitting in his own chair, plucking at his violin while he was bored, not paying attention at first but then he looked up straight at her. A grin makes its way to his face and he rushes over, pulling her into a hug, comforting her and telling her how much he missed her and how sorry he was for leaving her. Him kissing her cheeks several times over as tears stream down his own. And then he goes to kiss her. 

And then, she wakes up.

If Rose had to choose which she preferred, she'd say the nightmares. They don't make her cry or break her heart as much.

She hated to admit it, even to herself but Rose fell in love with the sociopathic detective and his arrogant ways but she knew that loving him was a lost cause, they were to never see each other again. The machine that connected their worlds broke beyond repair and despite the fact that Sherlock had the blueprints, she knew he'd never build the machine. Why would he? As he made clear well before the day he left.

_He hates me._

And that apparent fact made her dreams so much worse.


	23. Without Her

The years without her had broken Sherlock in a way that no one else could. He was broken and he was miserable. He was lonely too. 

John was still by his side whenever he really had the appropriate chance but he moved away to have a quiet life with Rosie, only popping in with her when Sherlock needed him and John had no one to look after his daughter. 'Uncle Sherlock' in Rosie's pictures always had a frowning face whenever she drew him. An apt detail considering his state.

Sherlock knew that sentiment was a risk, a chemical defect found on the losing side. And boy did he lose. 

He lost the woman he loved because he had to leave her. 

His English Rose.

His darling dark blonde detective with stunning blue-grey eyes and blushing cheeks.

Rose haunted his dreams and nightmares, taunting him with images of her committing suicide or falling for someone else right in front of him or even starting a family with the tall detective, mocking him with something he could never have. 

Sherlock Holmes could never be human without her, so he became a machine. He pushed himself to his limit time and time again but made sure to never stoop so low that he'd take drugs. Especially not with little Rosie around looking up to him.

However, some things did not change. Anderson and Donovan still bugged him relentlessly and he still could never remember Lestrade's name. Not that he ever needed to know the man's first name. Plus he was sure it was either Gavin or George or something of the sort. Lestrade would correct him anyway.  

The detective sighed as he leaned back into his chair plucking away at his violin, another hallucination of Rose had appeared yet again by the front door, looking at him expectantly. John was busy typing away, already used to this song and dance. Sherlock was used to it too, but he couldn't help but indulge in the fantasy. At least he got to see her again. He allowed his face to shift over to her, a grin growing without him thinking as he ran over to embrace her.

The thing that always got him with this hallucination was that he could actually feel her, hold her and kiss her until he actually went to kiss her on the lips, something he'd been attempting to do for months at that point. He always tried a different combination of kind words, apologies and sweet nothings that held the truth that he missed her and wanted her in his arms. He tried different combinations of how he kissed her face but it was always when he went for her lips that she disappeared from his grasp. Sherlock knew that if he wanted to get her to stay longer he had to avoid the action but he couldn't help himself, she was just so tempting. Everyone swore he had been driven insane.

Even after therapy she still showed up. 

After the hallucination disappeared John slammed his laptop shut in frustration, tears of his own streaming down his face as he looked over to his sobbing best friend now on his knees, witnessing his loved one leave him once again. He wished that Sherlock would stop seeing her, that he would stop his little play that he'd always put on for it because John knew that every time it happened it broke Sherlock all over again.

After every visit from her image, Sherlock would collapse to his knees, sob for a little while before he stormed off to his room, for the next month he'd be doing a lot better than before the hallucinations started, improving each time as he felt as if he had something to prove to the universe. But then he would start to decline, he would get bored with cases easier than before he met Rose but then her fake would show up again and the cycle would repeat. 

John could only hope that things were going better for the female detective, Sherlock had made her hate him before he left after all. 

Or so everyone thought. 

John sighed and placed his laptop, that he swore was going to end up broken one of these times, to the side before walking over to the curly haired man and knelt beside him, pulling him a large hug, allowing the man to sob into his shoulder. Tears still fell from his own eyes but he tried to fight them. 

He had a sociopath to cheer up.


	24. Just Another Day

Another useless interview with the media came and went, boring the poor detective with dull questions and giving them a headache with all those camera flashes. The DI took over most of the general questions about how the detective worked with the Yard and the cases they solved, people were still suspicious of the detective though. 

After all, she did initially give the police a false name. When Kienes enquired to why she gave a false name she just said that if the press found out about her, she didn't want too much attention but she realised it didn't matter so that's why she told him her real name. Not the fact that Sherlock Holmes had taken over her body and that she didn't want to be constantly reminded of the man who broke her heart.

Rose let out a sigh as she left for her flat, ignoring the few members of the press that tried to talk to her after the interview. Truthfully she found them to be a waste of time and a horrible distraction.

They bored her more than anything. 

The smell of petrichor filled the air once again as the rain slowed to a stop. The brilliance of London was the amount of rain it received, less than the rest of the UK but still enough to have such a lovely smell be well known to most citizens. As much as people complained about the rain, it certainly bugged them when it didn't rain. Something typically British.

The pattering of feet started to grow closer and closer. Rose knew it was Cindy trying to scare her, a routine that had become common between the two 'sisters'. The blue-eyed woman looked back at the teenager as they fell to the ground due to their untied shoelaces. A chuckle ran out as the short woman crouched down to offer a hand to the girl on the floor.

"You alright Cindy?" Humour coated Rose's tone as she helped the girl up after Cindy accepted to take her hand. The now blue-haired teenager huffed and nodded, deciding to play the moody teen while in her entirely black getup but Rose knew Cindy, no matter how much black she wore or the different colours she dyed her hair she knew Cindy was still the same little girl who loved music and jewellery, the types had just changed as people do. "Blue this week, huh? The lavender looked really good on you though. Then again, so did the silver and deep violet." Rose's tone became more casual and sincere, finally relaxed after the interview which always set her nerves alight.

She was always worried she'd say something wrong.

Cindy nodded her short blue hair as she pulled her hoodie back up to cover her head. Teens will be teens. Rose thought affectionately as Cindy drew her big sister in for a hug. "Interview again?" Cindy muttered into Rose's shoulder, wishing she could ask something but thinking against actually doing so, she had no idea how Rose would even react. 

Rose let out a sigh and nodded. "Same paper from last time too, you'd think they'd of gotten everything the first time around but nope!" Another sigh. "I just don't see why they need to know so much about me, I'm just a detective." Rose looked down at her feet, her black shoes in need of a polish but she never seemed to find the time for something so mundane.

"Just a detective?! Sis, you're practically a pro! You had Sherlock Holmes in your head! Not many people can say they've spoken to such a genius. Shame he was a dick to you though..." Cindy tried to encourage Rose but ended up lamenting at the end. Mycroft had explained Sherlock's actions to her but she still didn't see it as right. The blue haired girl still couldn't understand why he didn't just tell Rose that he had to leave and it would be best to not get attached. _Guys are idiots._ She thought as she looked at her sister doubting herself and clearly missing the other detective.

_If only there was a way to get them to see each other._

Meanwhile, in the other world, a certain detective was shooting yet again at a wall in boredom. John held his ears as he watched his friend unload the weapon into the innocent wall that was just doing its job. He was certainly glad that his little Rosie had school that day. 

Sounds of thunder made both friends jump, neither expecting a storm that day as it had just been clear skies for hours. John sighed quietly as Sherlock went back to shooting the wall, only stopping when he had run out of bullets. Mrs Hudson was away doing some shopping so luckily didn't have to hear the awful noises that Sherlock was causing. 

John was glad he was acting normal for himself though, he wasn't sure what he'd do if he caught Sherlock moping again. 

The detective threw the gun onto the coffee table and then proceeded to storm over to his chair and slump down into it with a huff, crossing his arms as he did so. His childish antics made John want to laugh. Some things really never do change. John thought as he reflected back on his past with the sociopath only to frown as he reflected back on his time in the world his wished he could visit again, if only once.

He knew Sherlock would never go for the idea, not while he thought that the only reason he'd go to that world hated him.

John sighed to himself once again.  _If only there was a way to find out that Rose didn't hate you, eh Sherlock?_  He thought to himself as he watched his best friend pick up his violin.

It wasn't long before a melodic yet melancholy sound filled the flat once again that week.


	25. Night-time Tears

Night-time fell onto London once again, the skies darkened to its typical shade of indigo as Rose stared out at the bedroom window she still never closed. The cool air being too lovely on her skin for her to do such a thing. She knew she needed to sleep, unconsciousness was practically about to pounce on her yet she tried to avoid it as much as possible but she knew that sleep would claim her eventually. 

A tired sigh left the blonde haired woman as she fell backwards onto her unmade bed. The small detective turned to look at the photo frame that now stood proudly on her nightstand, a picture of her friends that had been taken for Cindy's birthday last year was crudely tapped onto the side of it.

A chuckle left the detective's lips before she slowly started letting her eyes slowly shut.  _I hope I don't end up in that dream again..._ Her thoughts drifted off as she was pulled into the unconscious world.

Rose gazed around the familiar room before her eyes were pulled to look at her dear sitting in his chair, plucking away at his violin in boredom as usual. He looked as if he was waiting for something, probably Rose to show up so they could play out this damned dream that became routine to Rose, a routine she wanted desperately to break. She hated hearing the sweet nothings, compliments and the false apologies.

She wanted Sherlock himself to say it, not a figment of her unconscious mind trying to cheer her up. 

The woman ducked quickly behind John's chair as she noticed the tall man starting to turn his head. Despite not being able to see him, the air of disappointment filled the room. 

"Sherlock, what's wrong?" John's voice sounded out from the other side of the chair, clearly confused at his best friend's disappointment.

Sherlock hummed to himself in thought for a moment before standing up from his own chair. "She usually shows up when we're in that situation, so where is she?" He explained to his blogger, his voice more of a mutter than it's typical clear speech. The dark haired man paced back and forth for a small while before he collapsed onto the sofa on the other side of the room, his hands going into a prayer position that Rose recognized from the show as something he did when he entered his mind palace. 

Knowing he probably wouldn't notice her currently she stood from her position and glanced over John's shoulder to see what he was typing. It seemed like a diary of some sort as the page layout was different from his blog. Rose slowly made her way around the chair and tried to gain John's attention, first by just standing there before she started to wave her hands around.

Nothing grabbed his attention, it was almost as if she was invisible to him. Rose huffed and placed her hands on her hips, her gaze back to the detective who was lost in his mind palace. She always wondered what he thought about when she wasn't in the unconscious state of his mind palace with him while he played as Scott. A chuckle sounded from her throat remembering when he introduced himself as such.

Rose made quick steps until she was standing by the sofa, looking down at the man who broke her heart. He looked the same as he did in the show apart from the fact he looked like he was in desperate need of sleep. A childish mood came across the short woman as a smirk curled her lips and she knelt down by the detective, regarding his rather peaceful face before slowly moving her hand so it ghosted over his cheek. 

And then she poked him.

Sherlock blinked rapidly in confusion, being brought out of his mind palace. He turned to check where John was before noticing the female in front of him which made him jump in surprise. "R-Rose..." He muttered out, before lifting his head to look at his best friend as John swore to himself acting as if he just jinxed something. His gaze quickly fell back upon the woman in front of him, his hand lifting to touch her cheek only for her to move back.

"No... No touching." She stated before continuing after seeing the confused look on Sherlock's face. "No comforting, no sweet nothings, no fucking false apologies because I know you're not real! You're not really Sherlock... So just... don't..." She muttered out, tears already starting to make their way down her face.

"But I am, I'm Sherlock, I'm here. We're here. At 221B. Rose, why would you think otherwise?" Sherlock asked, rather confused about the whole thing, she was the hallucination so why was she questioning his existence? It made very little sense to the detective.

Rose shook her head furiously, her blonde hair spraying out as she did so. "No! This is just another stupid dream! Just... just a stupid dream in which my brain reminds me of that stupid detective that broke my heart! That stupid man... Sherlock... I can't help but love him... Why do I love him?" Sobs filled the air as Rose sat down properly, lifting her knees to her chin and holding her legs close as she cried.

Her confession made Sherlock freeze, his own tears starting to fall as he gazed at his darling crying to herself. **She loved him**. Not some random man with actual feelings but him. Sherlock was half tempted to jump for joy just like when he finally received an especially challenging case. He wanted to scoop her up and hold her and confess his own feelings to her but he decided against any rash acts and instead settled for sitting next to her and pulling her close by the shoulder. 

Sherlock nuzzled against her dark blonde hair gently, trying to coax her away from hiding her face in her knees. He wasn't expecting any harsh movements so when she snapped her head around to face him it made him jump.  _Damn woman is unpredictable._  Sherlock thought it made him want to chuckle as he was shown another side to his darling Rose.

But as her gaze went from something rather innocent to a small glare, he got worried. "What?" He asked he didn't want to deduce what she was thinking or about to do just in case it made her angry with him. 

Then Rose realized something, to wake up, she needed to kiss the impostor in her head.

Rose gave a quick sigh before shooting forward to give Sherlock a kiss. Just as their lips were about to touch, she looked up at Sherlock's kaleidoscopic eyes to see them dilated. 

Rose woke up, for once in a long time, not startled. Tears continued to fall and stain her cheeks. She turned to look at the alarm clock to reveal it was near enough midnight, the reveal made her sigh in frustration. She'd have to get more sleep or Bun was going to annoy her about not sleeping.

The frustrated, crying girl turned to her side and hoped sleep would come fast. Wishing that she didn't end up with another dream. If only she knew.


	26. Scientific Invervention

Wind howled as a figure ran as fast as they could to their destination. The figure collapsed with a grunt as they were tripped up by their own feet yet again, the figure quickly hopped back up and continued on their way out of the city. Their destination wasn't too far now. 

The figure panted heavily as they leaned against the warehouse that held something other than just stored goods, the small figure shifted the large metal door out of the way to see their sister's friend hard at work, busy inventing whatever popped up into his head. 

The inventor was certainly something, if you didn't know him you'd say he wasn't all there, he just called himself eccentric. He was busy rushing about, getting his machine and it's budding device working so he could make a good friend happier than they had ever been before. The brown-haired man, thinking he was missing his screwdriver started to panic only to realise it was in his hand, a sigh of relief sounded out as he continued to work on the watch-like device he was close to finishing.

His brown eyes glanced up at the blue haired girl and a happy grin covered his face. "Oh hello there Sydney! Here to check on how things are coming along?" He paused to allow the girl to answer, which was just a simple nod, before continuing on one of his typical rambles that consisted of the topic of temporal and spatial manipulation, something the watch was capable of. "In short, it's going brilliantly! A few hiccups but that's normal, time and space isn't straightforward y'know!" He exclaimed as he threw the device up and down, catching it with ease. 

"Just as long as you get it finished, doc. I want to see Rose smile again." Cindy stated rather simply, her tone rather sad as she struggled to remember if she ever saw her sister smile genuinely. The inventor nodded in understanding, a sad look crossed his eyes that seemed to age them more than they were already aged despite the man's rather youthful appearance.

The brown haired inventor quickly rushed to the large machine at the other end of the warehouse, passing multiple boxes filled with various other machines and gadgets along the way.

Now, he knew he couldn't properly replicate the machine's science, but its looks from descriptions wasn't a difficult feat. He'd done just as well with less before. The science end, especially with the watch device was his own genius coming into play. Why was he doing this? He adored Rose, she had saved his life quite a few times so he owed her at least the means to travel between worlds so she could get to her friends in the other world. The inventor was rather excited to watch his machine in action by the person it was made for, he had tested it out himself, nearly ending up in space during one of his trips, only to have a helpful fez wearing man to send him back home. 

He quickly worked to make sure the watch was fully synchronised with the large machine before placing it in a box with padding and quickly wrapping the box up, bright red bow included. His converse squeaked against the ground as he turned and walked over to the teenager. He gingerly handed the wrapped box over to the blue haired girl, sending a small innocent wink her way before running off to do the first thing that popped up into his head. 

Cindy made her way back home slowly, not wanting to disturb the gadget in the box. Rose's birthday was the next day and the teenager couldn't wait to see the look on her sister's face when she finds out what she'll be able to do with the watch.

The thought alone made her grin. 


	27. Happy Birthday

Rose was yet another year older according to the world, yet she felt the same as she always did. Birthdays stopped being a big thing to her when she was a child and now they weren't even festive as she typically preferred being alone. Not that her friends got the hint. As soon as 11 am hit her buzzer began to ring. First came Bun, arms covered with bags that were filled with various clothes and containers of what was probably makeup. _Are they really going to doll me up for my birthday?_  After she thought that she was dragged back into her bedroom and like she guessed, was dolled up, well, dolled up for her. The makeup was quite minimal and all she wore clothes-wise was a black dress and heels.

Chris arrived shortly after Rose's makeup was finished, he had his backpack and a small bag that had a few video games in it and chocolate too. Such a dear. Cindy and Rose's dear inventor friend who everyone just called 'Doc' arrived shortly after that, Cindy held a present while Doc held a boxed cake. Kienes was the last to arrive, the only thing he carried was a manila folder which was tucked securely under his arm. 

It took a few hours for things to get going in Rose's opinion. The mood always seemed to take a while to become something more relaxed at her flat, where people worried that they were going to make her act out or something? Rose sighed, allowing her back to fully hit the cushion of the backrest. They had all just finished the chocolate cake that Doc brought round, it was almost gone within a few minutes.

Luckily Chris brought his Cards Against Humanity set for when things slowed down too much for his liking, preferring everyone to be laughing at the absurd things to the awkward quiet.

She gazed over towards Doc to see him bouncing on his seat, waiting for something like an impatient child, that's when she noticed Cindy walk over with that present that had been on her mind since she saw it. 

Shiny blue paper, bright red ribbon tied nicely into a bow on the top. Something that looked rather professional was bound to catch anyone's eye. Though everyone was gladder that it didn't have glitter on it, another small thing that Cindy seemed to never grow out of, using copious amounts of glitter especially when it wasn't needed.

Rose's attention was brought back to the girl in front of her when she felt the box be placed on her lap. "Happy Birthday sis, this was the best present I could get you." Cindy stated, a small smile working its way to her face, not really one for smiling with a large group of people around. She nervously fidgeted with the fingerless gloves that seemed to be a worse idea the colder and colder as the winter drew on. 

The detective slowly peeled away the red ribbon and blue wrapping paper, lifted up the lid to reveal an odd-looking watch.  _Maybe she meant best present in the terms of money. Either way, it's the thought that counts._  Rose thought as she placed the item's strap around her left wrist and clasped it into place. Doc's face bore a huge grin as he rushed over and explained what each little part did. She adored when he got nerdy like this, loving his explanations as well as his excitement over the science behind everything.

Admittedly, she just assumed he was gushing over it because it might have been a replica from some obscure sci-fi show which Rose never came across, well that was until she pressed the buttons in the order she said she should. 

Next thing she knew she was standing outside, slowly being chilled to the bone from the cold and the rain that poured down. Rose quickly looked around to realise she was standing on a street that seemed rather familiar. Noticing a post not too far away, a post which stated where she was. She squinted to get a better look at the sign, the rain making it increasingly difficult. Her eyes quickly widened when she recognised the words on the signpost. When she realised where she was.

Baker Street.


	28. Other World

The rain seemed to be impossible to walk through as it beat down onto Rose's body, the dress that Bun had carefully chosen to respect their best friend's ideas on clothing style was now ruined, and Rose could only be glad that Bun had used waterproof mascara on her instead on the normal kind because the rest of her makeup was almost all gone thanks to the harsh water that hit her face. 

Rose held her arms close to try and retain at least some of her rapidly fading body heat. Her body started to grow stiff, it was becoming tried from trying hard to keep itself warm. The small, freezing detective sat down on a random doorstep and curled her knees up, making sure the dress didn't ride up as she did so. With one arm wrapped around her legs, she slowly moved her other hand back towards the door to let someone know that she was there.

Falling backwards, the detective's eyes went from glaring at the rainy streets to looking up at an elderly woman who seemed as if she was just about to leave for the shops. The woman gasped in surprised and quickly helped the soaking girl up and into the building. 

"S-Sorry about this..." Rose's teeth chattered as she tried to explain what happened, only to be pulled into a flat by the woman of the building. She was quickly sat down in a seat by a heater in the old lady's kitchen and was then wrapped up in a blanket.

"Oh, it's fine, dear! Really. Now, let's get you some warm clothes, huh? I'm not sure if anything I own will fit you so I'll check to see if my tenant has anything that will fit you. I'll be right back, dear!"  The old lady gave a warming smile before quickly heading off upstairs to speak to her tenants. It didn't take too long before she was back down with what seemed to be just a t-shirt and a pair of pyjama bottoms, they'd be extremely baggy on Rose but anything was better than the soggy mess of a dress that she was in. 

Rose was quickly pushed into the small ground floor flat's bathroom, clothes in hand with the instructions to take a shower, dry off and then get changes while the old lady made some tea for both of them.

The short woman was quick enough to do exactly that, only coming out when she was dressed in the obviously male tenant's clothing. The smell that came from the clothes calmed her nerves as she glanced at the odd watch that the Doc and Cindy gave her, she wanted to ignore it but she knew if she was in another world, she'd need the watch to get home. Whatever the inventor had planned, she just hoped it wasn't something dangerous. Rose clasped the watch back onto her left wrist and headed back to the kitchen to find the old lady sitting at a table in the middle, sipping at her cup of tea.

A few hours went by, no words left anyone's lips and the building was quiet until he burst it.

"Mrs Hudson, I need you to call Jo-" His voice sounded out, a familiar melody to Rose, baritone and wonderful as it was something she could keep listening to and never get bored, he captivated her like that. "Rose..." He breathed out as he paced closer, the old lady Mrs Hudson gazed up at her tenant weirdly before drawing the connection. 

"Oh, this is the woman you've been nonstop talking about to me Sherlock? She's lovely company, not all that talkative but still very nice to have around." Mrs Hudson stated, drawing a small blush up to Rose's already red cheeks. "I'll let you do now, dear, I think you and him a bit of catching up to do." She said with a smile, gently taking the mug from Rose's hand and pushing both detectives out to the landing. 

Silence filled the building once more as the detectives stood next to each other rather awkwardly, unsure of what to do next. 

Sherlock glanced down at the small woman, a smile slowly making its way to his face, the corners of his eyes crinkling as he took in the sight of Rose in his clothes and blushing. Something about the sight made him feel extremely happy, there were other emotions too, one of them was he could easily identify as pride but there wasn't one he couldn't identify. He'd felt it with her before, back when he was in her head but he never really put a name to it.

His thoughts drifted away from the feeling yet again as he noticed Rose walk up the stairs and into his flat. 

_Time to make up for my mistakes._


	29. Warm Atmosphere and a Nearly Happy Holmes

Ecstatic, that's all Sherlock could feel as he glanced at the figure who occupied John's chair while he sat in his own. He initially had planned on running off to the Yard to see if Lestrade had a case for him but now he wasn't as bothered with getting a case. 

His eyes gazed up and down the woman, taking in every detail that he could. From her dark blonde hair that fell in waves behind her shoulders, those blue-grey eyes that he loved to get lost into her pink cheeks and all her curves. Sherlock Holmes was no romantic, and he was no angel or a believer in such things that would make him not as important in his bubble of a world but his loved-up mind had declared this woman an angel or something equally as amazing. 

This woman who he had been hallucinating about for years was finally there with him, he could actually kiss her and not have her disappear in his arms. She looked so peaceful as she leaned back with her eyes closed, just enjoying the warm atmosphere that contrasted heavily to the cold rain outside. He couldn't bring himself to disturb that. Quietly, he made his way back to his room and got changed into some nightwear of his own and his robe before heading back out into the living room. 

From his time as a part of her, he grew to know how her body worked pretty well, as was expected when you become a part of someone, so he was aware she wasn't sleeping just resting her head. Another thing he was aware of was what today meant for her. 

The atmosphere was warm and welcoming but still awkward considering the other believed the other had hated them for years. Sherlock gulped as he considered his next moves, thinking of a plan, rethinking and then rethinking again. He felt rather torn on if he should take it slow and try and regain her trust or just throw caution to the wind and kiss Rose. The slow route had more chance of working and less chance of him getting hit but he wasn't all that patient but he knew that if Rose didn't hit him for rushing things, John would.

Sherlock wasn't at all surprised when John started complaining to him about what he had done to the girl, John had grown attached to Rose pretty quickly as he was influenced by Bun's own attachment to her. The short doctor had very nearly lost his temper with the sociopath as Sherlock tried his hardest to explain his feelings only to end up laughing when Sherlock couldn't just admit that he was in love until John blurted it out that he so obviously in love with Rose that it was painful.

The detective knew that he held a lot of sentiment for the girl that captured his heart but had never thought to just simply call it love. But that changed after that day. 

His curly hair bounced as he nodded to himself as he decided that he'd just take it slow, better safe than sorry. He didn't want to lose Rose again or make her hate him more. Sherlock gazed in adoration at the peaceful girl that rested in his best friend's chair, it wasn't long before he noticed that she had begun to shiver slightly, her skin probably still a bit damp from the shower Mrs Hudson made her take. Hurriedly he slipped off his robe and placed it over her before rushing over to the fireplace and lighting it. He shifted his head to look back at the girl to find her gaze was pointed at him, her eyes reflecting the fire in such a way that he couldn't stop staring, Sherlock could feel a blush and a small smile blossom on his face as he watched the woman he loved smiled softly at him.

Something about that smile bothered him, however. He was unsure if it was because there was a chance that she was just being polite or if it was the fact the smile didn't entirely reach her eyes. And that smile hurt him more than it should.

 _Calm down Holmes, take it slow. She just needs to get over all the pain you caused her, nothing big._  The detective thought to himself, getting sarcastic near the end as he realised that the plan to gain her trust in him could take years thanks to his own actions.


End file.
